Manhasset residents run women-only 10K for leukemia, lymphoma research

Amelia Camurati
Deirdre Ryan of Manhasset and Team SOAR will take on the New York Road Runners Mini 10K this Saturday in Central Park. (Photo courtesy of Deirdre Ryan)

Deirdre Ryan’s father, David, went to North Shore University Hospital for angioplasty surgery in 2011 and left after a surprise bone marrow biopsy.

Dierdre Ryan’s father, David, was  diagnosed with leukemia in 2011 and is now a seven-year survivor. (Photo courtesy of Eddie McDonald)

After he was diagnosed with leukemia, Ryan said, the road was bumpy and at one point, doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center told her family to prepare for the worst.

Eventually, new medications were tried and succeeded, and her father is a seven-year survivor who still spends his free time fly fishing — and always releasing the fish back into the water, his daughter said.

On Saturday, Ryan as well as Manhasset women Zari Ginsburg, Katie Derasse and team captain Mary Jane Reilly will participate in the New York Road Runners Mini 10K for Women through Central Park to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Team SOAR has participated in the New York Road Runners Mini 10K for women for years to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. (Photo courtesy of Deirdre Ryan)

Ryan said this is her first year participating with Team SOAR — Spirited, Optimistic and Relentless — but she didn’t hesitate to join the team of 22 women.

“When my neighbor asked me to join this walk, it was very personal to me because I had a connection to the diagnosis,” Ryan said. “I felt as though the people who are on our team could have contributed to the research that led to the treatment that benefitted my father, as many of them have been raising funds for years. I am grateful for the research that saved his life and wanted to pay it forward.”

Ryan said the team is also being supported by the Manhasset High School girls cross country team.

The team is fundraising through June 30, and donations can be made online at pages.teamintraining.org/li/yourway18/teamsoar. The group has raised $19,400 of its $25,000 goal.

Ryan said many members of the team are survivors or patients as well as family members or friends of those affected by blood cancers.

Share this Article