Hi, I’m Nicki! I’m 28 years old and live in Los Angeles, California. I’m a Marketing Specialist working towards my MBA at Pepperdine University. As a Minnesota native, completing the Twin Cities Marathon has been a dream of mine since I started running regularly nearly a year ago. I ran the Los Angeles Marathon this past February, and I can’t wait to run my second marathon in my hometown around the beautiful lakes.  I’m excited to share my story of how Children’s Hospitals of Minnesota saved my life and raise donations for a cause that’s very important to me.

At the young age of ten in 1998, I was diagnosed with stage 2 Burkitt’s lymphoma after I woke up with severe stomach pain. I spent the next two months in and out of Children’s in St. Paul seeing doctors and nurses both in the hospital and at home. Over the course of my time at Children’s, I underwent four surgeries and two intense rounds of chemotherapy.

There are few experiences more unsettling than getting a cancer diagnosis, especially for a child. The support of my family, friends, and the hospital staff helped me get through it. The top notch doctors and great facilities made my stay much more comfortable. I distinctly remember enjoying the game room, where I could play Mario Kart 64 for hours and forget about the next round of chemo. The doctors worked with my parents to ensure I got the best treatment to quickly nurse me back to health.

I consider myself lucky that the cancer was caught early and that I was brought to Children’s, where they quickly diagnosed and treated it. I’ve been cancer-free for over 17 years now. Please join me in helping give children who are fighting for their lives the best care and comfort possible and donate to Children’s. 

All donations through this page will go to the Cancer Kids Fund. Thanks for your support.