My name is JoAnn Tona Sei.
I am a wife and mother of three from Flemington, New Jersey. I am happy to be participating for a second time in the ING New York City Marathon with Team McGraw.
Last year, I joined the team because it was in the back of my mind to try to run a marathon – and this cause was the motivation I needed. This year, I will run because it was one of the most gratifying and emotional experiences of my life, and it allowed me to pay tribute to my mom, Barbara Tona.
In September 2003, life as we knew it changed. We got the devastating news that our mother had a malignant brain tumor, a glioblastoma multiforme. Unimaginable! At the time she was a 54-year-old wife, mother of 4, and grandmother of 6. So we joined the Central New Jersey Brain Tumor Support Group and met people that had already defied the statistics and were fighting every day to beat this deadly disease. We thought our mom would be one of them.
However, 24 months after diagnosis, our mother lost her battle. She was 56 years old and the grandmother of 8.
Having to watch my mom so graciously lose the fight of her life was the hardest thing I have ever done. I am happy to honor her by being a part of this team and raising money for such a great cause.
I can’t bring her back, but I can still make her proud!
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