Runner, Teen Patient Hold Special Reunion

On the anniversary of his 200-mile run from Fresno to Sacramento, David Thull, a Fresno Betsuin ultramarathoner, returned to the Sacramento Betsuin. Only this time, he didn’t run or walk to get there, but drove and arrived in time for Dharma services.

Thull’s visit to the Sacramento Betsuin fell on Nov. 23, exactly one year after he completed his inspiring feat called “200 Miles of Compassion” by the Sacramento Sangha. The long-distance run raised $44,000 for Nathan Imura, a 13-year-old member of the Sacramento Betsuin fighting leukemia, and the Sacramento nonprofit Mama Bears Fighting Childhood Cancer, which supported the Imura family.

And what a difference a year has made. 

Nathan received a stem cell transplant from his father, Aaron Imura, and follow-up tests and bone marrow biopsies have shown no signs of cancer. 

Nathan’s doctors cleared him to start high school in person after he missed most of middle school. Nathan even went camping with his Scouting troop.

After the Dharma service, Thull and the Imuras chatted over lunch and reminisced about the first time they met. Thull was running through heavy rain and lashing winds, conditions that produced a bomb cyclone and record rainfall in Sacramento.

“He was soaked to the bone, so much so that his fingers looked as if he spent the day in a swimming pool,” Aaron Imura recalled. “When he shook my hand, he was shivering. That first impression made me realize the toll he put on his body.” 

Thull and Rev. Kazuaki Nakata from the Fresno Betsuin came up with the idea of running from Fresno to Sacramento to commemorate the Sacramento Betsuin’s 125th anniversary. After three-and-a-half days of running and walking, Thull crossed the finish line at the Sacramento Betsuin, where Sangha members were on hand to welcome him, including Nathan.

Meeting the ultramarathoner a year later was a privilege, said the high school freshman, who thanked Thull and the generosity of all the donors. 

“It meant a lot knowing that people had our backs; we received so much support,” he said.

The financial support meant the Imura family didn’t have to worry about medical bills. They could also make payments on a new van, a much-needed purchase to get Nathan to his doctor’s appointments comfortably and safely. 

“The fundraising run meant my family was not alone in Nate’s fight to beat cancer,” Aaron Imura said. “We thank David for his sacrifice and endurance.”

“It’s very neat to see how much gratitude there is,” said Thull, who noticed how healthy Nathan looked despite his recent trip to the emergency room. 

It turned out that Nathan was riding his electric scooter when he accidentally hit the throttle and took a tumble. He wound up in the emergency room with a broken wrist.

“He’s doing stuff that a teenager ought to be doing,” Thull said. “He’s happy being a teenager.”