12-04-2025
Nashua native, cancer survivor Tejeda, 23, running Boston Marathon for Mass. General Hospital
WHEN Nathanael 'Smiley' Tejeda got to know Dave Jurewicz, he realized that they have a lot in common.
They're around the same age. Tejeda, a Nashua native, is 23, and Jurewicz recently turned 20.
Jurewicz studies at Springfield College, where Tejeda got his undergraduate degree in exercise science.
They also have the same oncologist.
Jurewicz recently finished his treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for Hodgkin lymphoma, the same kind of cancer that Tejeda had.
Tejeda was diagnosed at MGH with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma in 2019 at age 17. Now cancer-free, Tejeda is partnered with Jurewicz through MGH for the April 21st Boston Marathon.
Tejeda is running Boston — it will be his first-ever marathon — as part of MGH's marathon team. Jurewicz will cheer Tejeda on with the other MGH runners' patient partners near Mile 20 in Newton, Mass., which comes just before Heartbreak Hill.
'I think, for me, it was really cool to just hang out with him and kind of show him, hey, man, life after treatment is not the end,' Tejeda said. 'You can honestly go on and continue to live your life and be the person you want to be. There's no holding back from what you are.'
Tejeda graduated from Springfield College last year. The Nashua South graduate is now working on his master's degree in exercise physiology with a focus on cancer research at the University of North Carolina.
With fewer than two weeks until the Boston Marathon, Tejeda has raised more than $11,000 for MGH on his GivenGain webpage.
Tejeda, who got the nickname 'Smiley' from one of his Pee Wee football teammates because of his upbeat attitude, was first diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at MGH, where he also received his treatment.
Then in his senior year at South, Tejeda learned he had cancer the day after he reached the quarterfinals in the 195-pound weight class at the wrestling NHIAA Meet of Champions.
A few days before the meet, Tejeda discovered a golf-ball sized lump on his neck.
'I was kind of in shock,' Tejeda said. 'I didn't really fully understand at the time the severity of it all but knew that it was a big deal, and my family was very impacted by the whole situation.'
Tejeda, who also played football and baseball at South, didn't let cancer affect his signature 'Smiley' demeanor.
Purple Panthers baseball coach James Gaj still remembers how Tejeda told him about having to miss the season that spring.
'He sent me a text message,' Gaj said, 'and it said, 'Coach, I just want to let you know some of the good and some the bad — the bad news is I'm not going to be playing baseball because I was diagnosed with cancer. The good news is I caught it early.' His exact words were, 'I'm Gucci (good) — not to worry about it. I've never met anybody that had cancer and tell me that they're Gucci.'
Tejeda, a defensive end/offensive guard in football and third baseman/outfielder in baseball at South, never liked running. He has always been more of a weightlifter.
But being a patient partner for Eva Melanson, who ran the Boston Marathon on MGH's team in 2019, inspired him to do the same with the hospital that helped him beat cancer.
'I've said it a few times before to my family and my friends — this really is that full-circle moment of having been on the other side,' Tejeda said, 'and now I get to be on the flip side of this whole entire experience and really finish it off in the right way.'
Tejeda started his marathon training late last year and at one point was running between 30 and 40 miles per week. He ran his first half-marathon last April.
'Hopefully this won't be my last marathon,' Tejeda said. 'Hopefully this is just the beginning of a new chapter in my life.'
Scott Knight, who was Tejeda's football coach at South, wasn't surprised when he learned Tejeda was running the marathon in an effort to help others.
When Tejeda was going through his cancer treatment, he met with Make-A-Wish. For his Make-A-Wish options, he could have met a childhood hero or gone on a nice trip, Knight noted.
Instead, Tejeda had Make-A-Wish upgrade the South weight room.
'This is 'Smiley' to a T,' Knight said. 'He could have done anything ... but he chose to do something that would benefit others.'
That outlook led Tejeda to pursue his studies at UNC.
Tejeda knew he wanted to major in exercise science when he got to Springfield College. Because of his own experience, Tejeda realized while at Springfield that he wanted to work with cancer survivors and current cancer patients, using exercise to improve their quality of life.
Tejeda was drawn to North Carolina in part because of the school's exercise oncology research laboratory.
'He cares more about helping others than himself,' Gaj said of Tejeda. 'He's one of the most selfless people I've ever met in my life.'
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