WESTFORD — Westford residents will participate Sunday in the Jimmy Fund Walk, a fundraiser for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Sixteen Westford residents will participate in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk on October 6th to raise money to support cancer research and treatment. Residents include Henry Carmichael, Megan Carmichael, Sheri Cullen, Wendy Ditmars, Rebecca Ennis, Scott Folger, Laura Goodman, Sharon Gould, Jessica Gould and Jeff Piazza .
Last year, thousands of people participated in the annual event, which follows the same route as the Boston Marathon. They raised a record $9.4 million last year and have raised more than $176 million in their 35-year history.
The Jimmy Fund Walk is the only organized walk allowed on the Boston Marathon course, allowing walkers to walk in-person or virtually, and includes 5k, 10k, and half marathons with all routes ending at Boston Common , or you can choose to walk a full marathon. .
The Jimmy Fund is comprised of community-based fundraising events that benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s “lifesaving mission of providing compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research to children and adults.” .
When 5-year-old Olivia Ennis returned home from school with a low-grade fever and cough, her parents took her to the emergency room, where they discovered she had pneumonia. After the lab came back, doctors discovered acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Olivia was diagnosed in March last year.
“The doctor came into the room and told us to our faces that this looked like childhood leukemia. At that moment, I think the best way to describe it is I was just stunned. ” Ennis said. I was shocked that so many emotions probably ran through my body in an instant. ”
Olivia was hospitalized at Boston Children’s Hospital for about 32 days, including 18 days in the ICU. Once she arrived on the oncology floor, she underwent very rigorous treatment. Olivia is expected to be in remission by May 2023 and remain in remission until May 2025.
“I think one of the things that was really special for me during Olivia’s diagnosis was being able to connect with other cancer moms who were going through the exact same thing,” Ennis said. Ta.
Carmichael is also a mother whose child was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Jackson (Jax) Carmichael, 4, was diagnosed with leukemia last September. Jackson’s symptoms started as bruises, leg pain, and a pale complexion.
“I knew in my gut that something was wrong, but just hearing it was like my worst nightmare,” Carmichael said.
Since receiving treatment, Jackson is currently in remission and is scheduled to finish treatment next October. The Carmichaels go to the Jimmy Fund Clinic every three weeks, and a nurse treats Jackson at home every week.
Despite the grueling treatment, the Carmichaels are trying to keep busy. Jackson and his twin brother Henry love playing with cars and trucks and being outside.
Jackson watched the walk from Boston Children’s Hospital last year and is excited to be part of it this year.
Jackson and Olivia will be participating in this year’s walk as Jimmy Fund Walk Walk Heroes.
Walk Heroes are Dana-Farber patients and are matched with the Jimmy Fund Walk Team, who walk in their honor. Jackson will be selected for his match team, Jax Fight Back, while Olivia’s mother will be selected for the family team, Liv Strong, and Olivia will compete against Schneider Electric’s Life Is On.
Laura Goodman is also walking. She was diagnosed with the rare cancer in September last year, the fifth known case in the world. Last August, Goodman went to the doctor and had several tests, including a CAT scan, which revealed an abscess in her colon. During surgery to remove the abscess, germ cell cancer of the colon was discovered.
Last October, Goodman began 12 rounds of biweekly chemotherapy. It was hoped that chemotherapy would be effective enough for surgery in April. But the chemotherapy was so effective that it caused an intestinal blockage.
After four treatments, Goodman underwent emergency surgery to remove most of her colon, part of her pancreas, part of her stomach and all of her spleen. Blood was discovered in her heart during the procedure and she was hospitalized for about 10 days.
“I remember the doctor coming in and saying, ‘You’ve got an intestinal blockage,’ because the chemotherapy was so strong. He looked at me and said, ‘Yeah, I think that put you in remission.’ ,” Goodman said.
Goodman finished chemotherapy in May and has been cancer-free since then, but will continue to be monitored for the next five years.
She previously walked in memory of her daughter’s friend Erica, who died of a brain tumor when she was 7 years old. She said she has always walked in honor of childhood cancer, but this year she will walk in honor of all cancers.
“From October to May, I had 12 rounds of chemotherapy and major surgery. That’s when I decided I wanted to do the Jimmy Fund Walk. I wanted to pay it forward,” Goodman said.
