Christopher’s Haven is grateful and proud to have Dan Durkin and Eileen O’Flaherty running the 2011 Boston Marathon on our behalf. The money they raise will help Christopher’s Haven to continue to provide housing for families with children who need cancer treatment at Mass General Hospital for Children.
Dan Durkin:
Dan is running on behalf of Christopher’s Haven for the second year in a row. He was inspired to run his first marathon last year after a close family friend passed away from Cancer. “It was tough seeing him fight the disease,” he said. Dan teamed up with a good friend, Bob Cargill, who was also planning to run for Christopher’s Haven that year. “During my runs with Bob, he would talk about all the Marathons he ran in support of charities. I thought that would be something great for me to do. Not only would I challenge myself, but I would also be helping out a lot of people as well.” After more than six months of training, he crossed the finish line with a time of 3 hours and 59 minutes. Looking back on his experience he said, “Running the Boston Marathon for Christopher's Haven last year was awesome! When I crossed that finish line, I realized that all my training had paid off.”
“I thought that would be something great for me to do. Not only would I challenge myself, but I would also be helping out a lot of people as well.”
This year, Dan’s goals are to beat his previous time as well as to exceed the amount of money he raised last year. He has set a fundraising goal of 3,000 dollars. “It's tough getting up at 4:00 AM five days a week, especially during the wintertime,” he said. “This winter has been tough, with all the snow and ice and lack of sidewalks to run on.” Despite the challenge, Dan said he would like to continue running on behalf of charity even after the marathon this spring. “It's something that I'll need to evaluate yearly, depending on time and health. This is my second year in a row so who knows?”
Eileen O’Flaherty:Read Eileen's letter here
Eileen is a cancer survivor, as is her son Griffin, who stayed at Christopher’s Haven and received proton radiation treatment at Mass General Hospital in the winter of 2009. Eileen ran her first marathon in support of cancer research in 2002, to celebrate her five-year victory over cancer. In 1997 she was diagnosed with a leiomyosarcoma on her left thigh and was told by one surgeon that she would probably lose her leg. After a full recovery she said, “I felt called to use my two good legs to raise money for cancer research.” Just a few months after the five-year milestone she completed the Charlotte marathon.
“It is not an exaggeration to say I have no idea what we would have done without Christopher’s Haven”
Once again, Eileen is running the upcoming Boston Marathon, this time to celebrate the recovery of her son Griffin. In September 2009, Griffin was diagnosed with a large, "tangerine-sized" malignant neurocytoma in the left ventricle of his brain. Initial treatment left him wheelchair bound, unable to speak, and legally blind. To continue treatment he had to travel to MGH in Boston, one of only a few medical centers in the world that offers proton radiation treatment. Fortunately, with the help of Christopher’s Haven, Griffin received the necessary treatment and returned to high school able to walk under his own power, and graduated on time. Now Eileen wants to “ensure that Christopher’s Haven is there for other families in need.” “It is not an exaggeration to say I have no idea what we would have done without Christopher’s Haven,” she said.
Click the links below to read more about Eileen and Griffin’s story:
http://davidsonnews.net/2009/12/23/the-lynch-family-thankful-to-be-together-for-christmas/
http://davidsonnews.net/2010/04/16/griffin-lynch-from-brain-tumor-patient-to-graduating-senior/
http://davidsonnews.net/2010/06/11/graduation-day-for-griffin-lynch/