#73 Running Toward a Cure: NF2 Advocate Becomes Marathon Runner to Raise Awareness & Funds

In this uplifting episode, hosts Beth Glassman and Cathy Gildenhorn sit down with Leanna Scaglione, a powerhouse rare disease advocate and marathon runner living with NF2-Related Schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN), formerly known as neurofibromatosis type 2.

Diagnosed at just 16 years old, Leanna’s life changed dramatically when tumors were discovered in her nervous system, a hallmark of NF2-SWN. Many would have slowed down. Instead, Leanna sped up.

Today, she has:

• Completed multiple marathons, including Berlin and New York City
• Participated in clinical trials
• Become an advocate and 2025 Ambassador for the Children’s Tumor Foundation
• Set her sights on becoming the first person with NF2 to complete all 7 Abbott World Marathon Majors

Her message is powerful: a diagnosis doesn’t define the finish line.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• What NF2-SWN is and how it impacts the nervous system
• The emotional toll of receiving a life-altering diagnosis as a teenager
• Losing a dream — and finding a new one
• Running marathons through surgeries, treatments, and uncertainty
• How advocacy and visibility can change the rare disease landscape
• Building a life rooted in resilience, purpose, and possibility

About Our Guest:

Leanna Scaglione is 34 years old living with NF2-Related Schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN). Ever since being diagnosed at 16 years old, she has refused to live defined by her diagnosis.

From relearning to walk, participating in immunotherapy drug trials, and going through numerous surgeries she has defied the odds against her. Most recently she has undergone surgery to remove her right acoustic neuroma.

She continues to live her best life as an endurance runner, sharing her story and experiences living with NF2 in hopes to spread awareness, motivate her community and rally for a cure.

Resources:

• Children’s Tumor Foundation
  • NF2 Accelerator: A Strategic Portfolio Approach to End NF2
• Articles Explaining NF2
  • MedlinePlus
  • GeneReviews
  • National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
• Research from China that Leanna reference for a gene therapy for NF2
  • Yuan R, Wang B, Wang Y, Liu P. Gene Therapy for Neurofibromatosis Type 2-Related Schwannomatosis: Recent Progress, Challenges, and Future Directions. Oncol Ther. 2024 Jun;12(2):257-276. doi: 10.1007/s40487-024-00279-2. Epub 2024 May 17. PMID: 38760612; PMCID: PMC11187037.
• Additional Research Articles
  • Alexandra K. O’Donohue, Samantha L. Ginn, Gaetan Burgio, Yemima Berman, Gabriel Dabscheck, Aaron Schindeler, The evolving landscape of NF gene therapy: Hurdles and opportunities, Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids, Volume 36, Issue 1, 2025, 102475 ,ISSN 2162-2531, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omtn.2025.102475.

Connect With Us:

Stay tuned for the next new episode of “It Happened To Me”! In the meantime, you can listen to our previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “It Happened To Me”.

“It Happened To Me” is created and hosted by Cathy Gildenhorn and Beth Glassman. DNA Today’s Kira Dineen is our executive producer and marketing lead. Amanda Andreoli is our associate producer. Ashlyn Enokian is our graphic designer.

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