'Second chance at life': Round Lake Beach man returns to run Chicago Marathon year after receiving liver transplant

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - One of the people who ran the Chicago Marathon Sunday was a Round Lake Beach man who almost missed the race last year because an organ transplant he was waiting for became available.

Batbayar Tserendorj was getting ready for bed the night before the marathon when he got the call that Northwestern Medicine had a matching liver.

After a cancer diagnosis, he went through radiation and started training for his first marathon while on the transplant list.

“I wanted to do the marathon, I don’t care about the time,” Tserendorj said.

The then-60-year-old declined the liver and opted to run instead.

Transplant doctor Amanda Cheung said they’re typically concerned if a patient turns down a transplant, but Tserendorj’s team saw his determination and supported his decision.

“Obviously, we always get concerned if someone is turning down a transplant because we really want them to get transplanted to get better sooner, but Batbayar is an amazing person, and he just had this motivation,” Cheung recalled.

Northwestern Medicine said 19 days after finishing the race, he got the new liver.

Cheung said that same motivation spurred Tserendorj  to ask repeatedly when he could get back to marathon training.

“He also understands that this was a gift that he received, in this organ, and he just wanted to be very cautious not to hurt this new liver,” Cheung said.

With his medical team’s blessing, he ran Sunday.

“[It’s] a second chance at life,” Tserendorj said.

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