Meet Matt Forman
Matt Forman made his miles matter with Project Purple’s 2024 New York Marathon team, raising over $21,000 for pancreatic cancer research and patient aid. Matt’s motivation for running with Project Purple comes from the pain of losing his mother to pancreatic cancer back in 2021. He was introduced to the organization by his wife, Jodie, who ran the 2021 New York marathon with Project Purple to honor her mother-in-law.
Close Connections
Matt’s mother, Barbara, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in July 2020 after dealing with abdominal discomfort for several years. Unfortunately, “no doctors ever suggested she should get a pancreas scan,” according to Matt. That is, until Barbara went to a different doctor who suggested getting a scan.
When the scan revealed a stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis, this doctor (who was not her regular doctor) told Barbara she had 4 weeks to live. The family was emotionally devastated and in disbelief, and immediately began searching for a specialist.
Barbara was “a tough New Yorker from Queens” who exuded grit. She was not willing to accept the dire prognosis. The day after, she was on the tennis court playing doubles with Matt, Jodie, and Matt’s dad.
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed the world to a halt so when Barbara’s life slowed down due to her cancer and chemo, Matt’s family took advantage of remote work and school and temporarily moved down from Virginia to Florida to spend as much time with Barbara as possible.
As a grandmother, the most important aspect of life were Matt’s two daughters and his brother’s two daughters. Barbara’s life revolved around her grandchildren “My girls adored her… The 4 grandkids were the pride and joy of my mom” says Matt. “The hardest thing about losing her was my girls losing their grandmother.”
Several years later, tragedy struck again, adding to Matt’s list of reasons to run for Project Purple. Earlier in 2024, a friend of Matt’s unexpectedly passed away from complications caused by pancreatic cancer. His friend was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer and was receiving chemotherapy. He responded well to treatment but unfortunately passed away from a blood clot. Matt ran to honor both him and his mother this year.
Matt’s Marathon Journey
Matt describes himself as a casual runner but felt compelled to start running marathons to support a cause close to him. Matt’s inspiration while running the New York Marathon came from running through the city his mom is from, and running with a team supporting each other and the cause. Running a marathon is the “hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, both physically and mentally,” said Matt.
In his first marathon in 2022, he faced some challenges due to the very hot and humid weather, but despite this, he was determined to cross the finish line. He had his sponsors supporting him, and with his mom on his mind, he was determined to do it. His motivation for making it to the finish line was thinking about his mother’s strength and drawing upon that to finish the race. Knowing everyone is coming together to support this cause is very powerful to Matt.
In 2024, Matt made his triumphant return to New York, raising over $21,000 for Project Purple’s mission along the way.
Finding Community
While Matt wound up smashing his fundraising goal, he was nervous to start at first. But once he started reaching out to others, he was surprised by how many people were willing to donate to a good cause, especially those connected to pancreatic cancer.
Matt found fundraising provided an inspiring sense of community to people whose lives had been touched by pancreatic cancer. “It really provides an outlet for others,” Matt said. He found that people appreciated the opportunity to share their stories, and the space to talk about their loved ones, all while giving back in their honor.
Project Purple became “A nugget of something positive that came out of something terrible,” says Matt.
If you’d like to experience the powerful sense of community that comes with joining a Project Purple run team, visit our Events Page.