Stevens sisters to run NYC Marathon 19 years after life-saving transplant

Kate and Caroline Stevens will run the New York City Marathon together on Nov. 1 with Fred’s Team.

The sisters are participating in the race for the second time to raise funds for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). Kate was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as a child. Her younger sister Caroline donated bone marrow to save her life when Caroline was just four years old. That procedure took place 19 years ago, and the sisters are now preparing to complete a full marathon distance.

Kate stated that Nov. 14 will mark the 19th anniversary of her transplant. She noted that running 26.2 miles together nearly two decades later is a milestone they do not take for granted. The training process has been demanding, but Kate described it as a privilege to face the challenge with her sister. Caroline, who was too young to recall most of Kate’s illness at the time, said she is grateful for her role in Kate’s recovery. She expressed surprise that they would be running marathons together so many years later.

All proceeds from Fred’s Team go directly to cancer research at MSK. Since 1995, the program has raised more than $136 million. Kate emphasized that every dollar supports families on the hospital’s ninth floor and the research that treated her. She has taken daily medication since age five to manage her cancer and its effects. Long-term side effects include premature ovarian failure and infertility. Kate said her life has been permanently changed by the disease.

The sisters are scheduled to run on Nov. 1. Kate is currently interviewing for medical school. She credited the doctors at MSK for inspiring her desire to enter medicine. She aims to become a physician shaped by the care she received as a child.