Twenty years and three million dollars after it began, the Hoosiers Outrun Cancer 5K, hosted by the Bloomington Health Foundation, still has the same goal: to support members of the community fighting cancer. They say cancer affects everyone–patients, family members, and friends, which is why runners and walkers gathered at IU’s Memorial Stadium for the 5K.

For 19 years in a row, the team calling itself The Indispensables have won the award in the ‘Largest Hospital Team’ category. Led by Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at IU Health, Raja Hanania, The Indispensables have won the award every year they it has been a team in the race.

Hanania talks about how he started the team, and how it got its name in the video below.

As a doctor, Hanania supports cancer patients pharmaceutically, but he says his team’s purpose is to provide emotional support as well for those battling cancer.

Hanania feels that we all have a duty to support patients with cancer, and the support goes a long way.

The Bloomington community showed its commitment to local cancer survivors and fighters with a record 5,259 runners in the 20^th annual race.

The largest cancer survivor team was the Hakuna Matatas teaam, with 28 members. The team leader is Fadi Haddad, a cancer surgeon at IU Health Bloomington Hospital. He decided to start a team 12 years ago. The Hakuna Matatas is  a team of survivors, and most of the team are Haddad’s patients.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. The team honors and celebrates those who are alive and commemorates the memory of those who have died. Haddad says he does not view his patients as numbers, but he views them as family.

 

In Swahili, ‘Hakuna Matata’ translates to “have no worries,” and Haddad said when he initially tells his patients they have cancer, he knows they do have worries but that recovery is in the intersection of medicine and mindset. Furthermore, ‘ta ta’ means “breast” in Spanish, and most of Haddad’s patients are breast cancer survivors.

Haddad’s interaction with his patients is not just limited to him. His entire staff is involved with the treatment process, and that lets his patients know that there is a team of professionals working with them during this challenging time.

Haddad hopes to continue growing his team of survivors, and events like this demonstrate the growing awareness and importance of a community support for cancer patients and survivors.

I spoke with breast-cancer survivor Larrysa Vandeventer who shared her cancer story with me.

Larrysa described her reaction to the cancer diagnosis as a shocking feeling, and says the realization did not set in until the next day. She said she always heard about cancer, and everyone she knows has been touched by it, but she said,  “You don’t think that it will be you until you’re told that news.”

Larrysa underwent a mastectomy and radiation along with several rounds of chemo. Treatment, she said, was a very emotional process, and she had her high and low moments, but she told herself she was going to beat this disease, and she did.

The treatments tool a toll not only on Larrysa, but also her family members.

Larrysa has participated in the race since 2016 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She will continue to participate in this event because of the role support plays in a cancer patient’s journey.

Hoosiers Outrun Cancer 5K reached another community. The leftover apples from the race were put to good use. The apples were donated to Community Kitchen, and more than 400 Bloomington children in the Backpack Buddies program got an apple as a part of their meal.

For more information on cancer visit here.