BERETTA
Six years after fearing she would never walk again, Kellie Vehlies Beretta will run the Boston Marathon to raise money for the hospital that saved her husband’s life.
The twofold decision by Beretta is, first and foremost, to benefit the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, which successfully treated her husband, David, for cancer. As of Tuesday, she had raised $13,576 of her $15,000 goal through the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge website. She also is using the 26.2-mile run Monday — from Hopkinton, Mass., to Copley Square in Boston — to show she has overcome her injury.
“I didn’t want to feel held back by it anymore,” she said. “I really wanted to feel empowered and in control of my body again.”
Beretta, originally from New York, lived in Boston before moving to Jamestown in 2020. Her husband’s family has lived in Jamestown since the 1970s, so they were familiar with the island through their summer visits.
“We loved it so much, we didn’t want to leave,” she said.
After the Berettas married and moved to Jamestown, David was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in February 2021, and a month later, surgeons removed a tumor from his tongue and 55 lymph nodes. They successfully rebuilt his tongue with parts of his forearm.
David then began “aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatment,” and because of COVID-19 restrictions, Beretta was not able to be at his side. In August 2021, however, they heard those magic words: “No evidence of disease.”
“Dana-Farber is the reason I am a wife, not a widow,” Beretta said.
That year, Beretta, during a walk, was inspired by a playlist to increase her regimen. She started running the next day. This was four years after she had broken her leg, and feared her days of walking were done. The exercise was cleared by her doctor.
As a Jamestown Shores resident, Beretta runs on Seaside Drive and climbs the hill on Capstan Street. She also has made longer runs, including an 18-mile round-trip trek from her house to Beavertail State Park.
“Getting to run around Jamestown is awesome,” she said. “It’s so beautiful. There’s just so much to look at. It’s such a peaceful space.”
Initially she set small goals for herself, but as she got comfortable running, a friend suggested she compete in races. She searched for events, and decided to try for the Boston Marathon.
“People dream about running it,” Beretta said. “They work their whole life to qualify. I said, ‘If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it big’.”
As a former Boston resident, Beretta is aware of the significance of the Boston Marathon. The race has been annually held since 1897, aside from 1918, when the race was canceled due to World War I, and 2020, which was canceled because of the pandemic. Running for Dana-Farber was the easy decision “knowing that the research they do will support more cures and more positive stories like my family’s.”
“There is no other charity I would rather run for because Dana-Farber saved my husband’s life,” she said.
Beretta started to train in October, and the mild winter helped because she was not running in heavy snow with freezing temperatures. Although the Boston Marathon will be her first full marathon, she did run a half-marathon at Walt Disney World in February.
Two weeks ago, Beretta ran 20 miles on the Boston Marathon course with the Dana-Farber team. From Hopkinton, the course follows a northeastward path through six cities and towns before it reaches the finish line on Boylston Street. She also dances and rides her Peloton to exercise. Currently, however, Beretta has been tapering off her training to prepare for the race. Runners do this to allow their bodies to recover so they are in top condition.
Beretta said she is looking forward to running in the internationally renowned marathon that crosses through the Coolidge Corner neighborhood where she used to live. She is especially excited to cross the finish line and have her family there.
“It’s just a cumulation of everything I’ve worked for and it’s so emotional,” she said. “I’ve worked so hard for this. Especially at a point where I didn’t think I’d be able to walk again, and I did it. I just want to take in every single second of it.”
Contributions to Beretta’s fundraiser can be made at danafarber.jimmyfund.org by clicking on “Donate” and searching for “Vehlies.” She plans to continue fundraising through May.
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