As a four-year-old child in New Jersey, Aubrey was stricken with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a disease that used to be fatal for nine out of ten children diagnosed. To provide as normal day-to-day life as possible, Aubrey's parents told no one - family or friends - about the leukemia.
From Lab to Bedside
The doctor that had originally worked with Aubrey was the head oncologist at her local hospital. "He was studying one day a week at Sloan-Kettering and the other four days of the week practicing what he learned in his community," Aubrey remembers. It was this transfer of knowledge from research lab to bedsides in New York City and in the United States at large that saved Aubrey's life. It led to the proper diagnosis and treatment. Aubrey's battle against cancer continued for seven years, enduring seemingly endless rounds of chemotherapy.
At age 17, doctors finally considered Aubrey's illness to be in full remission. She was one of the lucky ones. It was not until her senior year in college that Aubrey realized how ill she had been and how much she had to offer back to Memorial Sloan-Kettering.
Aubrey Runs For a Cause
To take breaks from studying, Aubrey would go for daily runs. In 1992 she ran her first marathon - the Boston Marathon - and became hooked.
"The first time I did Boston I ran unofficially, without a number," Aubrey explains. "And I decided I would run the New York City Marathon in order to qualify for Boston the following year." That's when Aubrey's life and Fred Lebow's legacy became entwined.
As president of the New York Road Runners Club and co-founder of the New York City Marathon, Fred Lebow wrote to marathon runners and asked them to get friends and relatives to sponsor their runs for cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
"When I first received the fundraising mailing from Fred Lebow and Memorial Sloan-Kettering, I was so deeply touched," she says.
Aubrey began fundraising for the hospital and did quite well her first year, "I got a nice little bundle together ... about $1,500." Within three years, the Marathon Program had reached its goal and raised enough to establish the Fred Lebow Chair in Neuro-Oncology.
Aubrey was inspired by Fred to share her own story with others. "Now I've come full circle with it. I feel that, if they should hear about Memorial Sloan-Kettering and its success with me, then they can understand the potential for success with other people. The result of their gift then seems more tangible and meaningful. Talking about cancer is emotional, but in this context, it is positive and not sad."
The Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research is Born
In 1997, The Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research was established. Five years later, The Aubrey Fund has raised over $23 million for pediatric cancer research. The doctors at Memorial Sloan-Kettering have made tremendous advancements as a result. In fact, children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, fatal for nine in ten children when Aubrey was a child, now have an 85% rate of being cured.
Aubrey continues to offer her story to promote awareness and to raise funds for critical research. "The progress that's made in cancer research through their gift will save lives. Someday, be it through a friend or a family member, they may find themselves involved with cancer… and, Memorial Sloan-Kettering offers the best cancer care there is."
