Northwestern Medicine patient runs the 2024 Chicago Marathon with a new liver
Last year while on the transplant waitlist, Batbayar Tserendorj trained for his first Chicago Marathon; in 2024 he ran again – this time with his new liver
CHICAGO – October 13, 2024 – A Northwestern Medicine patient is celebrating one year cancer-free by running his second Chicago Marathon.
At age 60, Batbayar Tserendorj from Round Lake Beach, Ill., had been on the transplant waitlist for months. In early 2023, a liver cancer diagnosis likely caused by chronic hepatitis B and D infections left the husband, father and avid runner with a lot to process. With his medical team’s support, Tserendorj decided to move ahead with training for his first marathon.
“Running can improve cardiovascular function, which may support the body’s ability to recover from surgery,” said Northwestern Medicine transplant surgeon Juan Carlos Caicedo, MD. “After Batbayar finished radiation to shrink his liver tumor, we were supportive of him training while he waited on a match for a new liver."
“This was my chance,” said Tserendorj. “I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to run again, so I took up training for a marathon as a way to persist through the challenges I was facing.”
On Oct. 8, 2023, Tserendorj crossed the finish line of the Chicago Marathon. Nineteen days later, on Oct. 27, he returned to downtown Chicago to receive his liver transplant from the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He calls that day his second birthday. He’s been cancer-free ever since.
“Batbayar’s entire medical team could see his drive to run the marathon, so we were happy to support his training and even happier to see him reach his goals," said Northwestern Medicine transplant hepatologist Amanda Cheung, MD.
After his surgery, Tserendorj was determined to get back to running. With permission from his doctors, he ramped up his weekly mileage and finished the 2024 Chicago Marathon on Oct. 13.
“Like the marathon, my journey with cancer has been about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and I see that in everyone from my donor to my incredible Northwestern Medicine medical team," said Tserendorj. "Liver transplantation is not a death sentence. It’s a second chance at life.”
Born in Mongolia, Tserendorj is from a part of the world with one of the highest rates of liver cancer, as chronic infection with hepatitis B, C, and D are key factors in developing the disease. These infections are highly prevalent in the country, and since they can be transmitted from mother to child during birth, many people are exposed to the viruses early in life, leading to long-term liver damage and increased cancer risk.
Each year, more than 800,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer throughout the world and it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.