Siblings race to honor everyday cancer heroes — and each other

Two cancer survivors, Larry Young and Kathy Lozano, pose together holding purple signs that read their names and "CANCER SURVIVOR," against a backdrop of cancer organization logos.

By Susan Anasagasti

For Kathy Lozano and her brother, Larry Young, taking part in the 2025 Mays Cancer Center’s Give Cancer the Boot Survivorship 5K race and 1-mile walk was a celebration of their remission.

The event, dedicated to honoring survivors and supporting those still in treatment, drew more than 1,300 participants and raised more than $80,000 to support the center’s Patient and Family Assistance Fund — covering practical needs, including transportation to appointments temporary lodging assistance for eligible patients.

In 2022, cancer had upended the lives of both Lozano and Young, and behind their finish-line smiles were months of setbacks and uncertainty.

Virginia Kaklamani, MD, professor of medicine in the division of hematology/oncology and is the leader of the Breast Cancer Program at Mays Cancer Center.

“This event is a powerful reflection of what makes this community so special. It’s families supporting one another, volunteers giving their time and friends and community sponsors coming together with one shared purpose — to uplift and care for those affected by cancer.”

Young’s diagnosis came first: throat cancer. The treatment was grueling — 35 rounds of radiation, six rounds of chemotherapy and a feeding tube that remained in place for nearly two years. Lozano became a steady presence throughout her brother’s treatments, but just as he began to recover, Lozano got her own cancer diagnosis — an aggressive lymphoma, which required swift, intensive treatment, including infusions, a port and a bone marrow biopsy followed by radiation.

“To be here, to be joyful, to be with my family and to be able to encourage others who are still going through it — that means everything,” Lozano said of the event.

“This event is a powerful reflection of what makes this community so special,” said Virginia Kaklamani, MD, leader of the cancer center’s breast oncology program. “It’s families supporting one another, volunteers giving their time and friends and community sponsors coming together with one shared purpose — to uplift and care for those affected by cancer.”