LIVEr Champion

After the passing of their beloved father, John Bayeux, siblings Kate, John and Patrick immersed themselves into ALF. In the Fall of 2014, John ran for Team ALF at the Philadelphia Half Marathon. He volunteered with ALF’s former mid-Atlantic Division before moving to NYC where he joined ALF’s Associate Board of Young Professionals and served as Co-Chair for three years. Today, John remains East Coast Co-Chair of ALF’s National Young Leadership Council and even recruited his sister, Kate, to join in early 2020. Since their father’s passing, all three siblings have attended numerous ALF events and fundraisers, and we are grateful for their dedication and commitment to ALF and the liver community. Read their story below.

“Our family was close growing up. So close that we ate dinner together every night at 7pm when my dad got off the train from New York. This nightly tradition was preceded by three children anxiously waiting on the couch – noses pressed against the window, eyes peeled on the driveway and ears listening for the sound of heavy footsteps to walk through the door so we could greet him before dinner.

Our dad, John Bayeux, was a family man; what little free time he had was devoted to giving back to his community through active involvement in local government, teaching catechism at our church and coaching each of our respective sports. For a man who was forever gifted with extracurriculars, liver cancer was never on the mind.

On Valentine’s Day 2014, a day typically reserved for lovers, our world changed forever. It was the day our father was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer, stage four. The severity of his condition did not make him a candidate for liver resection (partial removal) or transplant, so our only hope was an aggressive chemotherapy regimen. The next three months consisted of multiple doctor appointments and chemotherapy sessions but somehow, through it all, dad kept an incredibly upbeat perspective and even continued his community involvement. He relentlessly insisted he would beat cancer in the end, but sadly, on May 12, 2014, he lost his battle to cancer leaving behind his wife, Karen and three children, Kate, John and Patrick. Those three months, from diagnosis to death, passed by in the blink of an eye. It shocked family, friends, and colleagues and left us with countless questions.

As we approach the ten-year anniversary of losing our father, we wanted to do something special in his memory. One of his favorite pastimes was running, therefore, this year we are all running the 2024 New York City Half Marathon. With annual diagnosis and mortality rates for liver cancer on the rise in the US, there is still so much more work to do to raise awareness of liver disease.  We are honored to share our story and proud to raise awareness and funds on behalf of ALF – an organization that has, and always will, remain close to our hearts.”