“It’s the biggest highlight when you take your last chemo. It’s awesome because it’s such a journey. From start to finish, you have so many ups and downs. Being able to do that means you beat it. You did it. And all of the people you love are there,” Grandma Joyce shares.
Surrounded by her husband, daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Joyce celebrated the end of her chemotherapy treatments. The “coolest grandma of all time” is excited to finish this difficult chapter and is looking forward to beginning a brighter one.
With her proud Grandma Joyce to cheer her on, Brianna Larson is taking on the Chicago Marathon in her honor.
Grandma Joyce’s Diagnosis
Joyce’s diagnosis came after two weeks of symptoms. She had stomach pain whenever she ate. “It felt like my stomach was in a knot,” she says. She also became jaundiced. “My husband told me I was yellow. My scalp was yellow. My eyes were yellow. Everything,” she remembers. Her husband promptly took her to the hospital, and the doctor immediately ordered scans and bloodwork.
Joyce received her life-altering diagnosis on Mother’s Day 2024. “It was like, ‘Happy Mother’s Day! You have pancreatic cancer,” Joyce recalls.
At first, Joyce and her family were in shock; they couldn’t wrap their heads around her having cancer. Meeting with the oncologist made it real. Joyce quickly began chemotherapy, starting on June 26.
Coolest Mom & Grandma
Brianna Larson, Joyce’s granddaughter, has always looked forward to spending time with her grandparents. Both Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Mike rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles for years, and one of Brianna’s favorite memories is when Joyce picked her up from school.
“She came and rode (an hour) way on her Harley and picked me up from school during recess. I was like, ‘This is the peak of my life, right? I’m the coolest kid at school. I have the coolest grandma of all time. Who else’s grandma rides a motorcycle?” Brianna recalls with a laugh.
Brianna’s favorite thing about her grandmother is her “hidden sense of humor.”
“I don’t think she would describe herself as a funny person, but every once in a while, out of the blue, she just gives a zinger that brings people to laughter and tears,” she says fondly.
Heather, Joyce’s daughter, appreciates her mom’s willingness to help others and how family-oriented she is. Heather shares that Joyce cared for her younger sister during her battle with cancer and also looked after her father as he aged.
“I can always depend on my mom. I know she’s got my back,” she says. Heather also insists that her mom makes the best gravy.
Running the Chicago Marathon
Although Brianna couldn’t attend Joyce’s bell-ringing ceremony in person, she remembers watching the video. “I stood in my office and cried tears of joy and pride because I was so happy for her and so proud of her,” she says.
Now, Brianna is training for the 2025 Chicago Marathon, running to honor and celebrate her grandmother. Brianna filled out the marathon application the day before Grandma Joyce’s Whipple procedure, and the two have come a long way since her diagnosis and recovery.
“I actually used to hate running. Growing up, I played sports. I did volleyball and track in high school, but I was a thrower because I didn’t like running,” she says.
However, she began running for stress relief and gradually worked her way up to completing her first half marathon in Cincinnati this past October. Crossing that finish line made her rethink her hesitations about running a full marathon. So Brianna set her sights on the Chicago Marathon, determined to run for a cause close to her heart. She found Project Purple on the Chicago Marathon charities page.
Grandma Joyce’s Support and Brianna’s Determination
Joyce is honored that her granddaughter is running to celebrate her fight and raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. “I’m honored. It’s just an honor that she’s doing this for pancreatic cancer. It’s going to be a long, hard run,” Joyce says.
Brianna, despite the challenge ahead, is determined. “I don’t know how I’m gonna run 26.2 miles, but it’s gonna happen,” she said.
Joyce, equally as determined to see her granddaughter finish the Chicago Marathon, joked, “I’m gonna get a moped and just tag along with you.”
Grandma Joyce’s journey through treatment and recovery has been an inspiration to her family. Now, as Brianna takes on the Chicago Marathon, they celebrate not only the end of a difficult chapter but the beginning of a new one.
To support Brianna Larson and her fundraising goals, donate to her page.
If you’d like to run or participate in an event of your own for Project Purple, visit our events page.
