WESTFORD — Westford residents will participate in the Jimmy Fund Walk, a fundraiser for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on Sunday.
Sixteen Westford residents will participate in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk on Oct. 6 to raise money to support cancer research and care. Residents include Henry Carmichael, Meaghan Carmichael, Sheri Cullen, Wendy Ditmars, Rebecca Ennis, Scott Folger, Laura Goodman, Sharon Gould, Jessica Gould, and Jeff Piazza.
Thousands participated last year in the annual event that walks the same path as the Boston Marathon. They raised a record-breaking $9.4 million last year and more than $176 million in its 35-year history.
The Jimmy Fund Walk is the only organized walk permitted on the Boston Marathon course and walkers can walk in-person or virtually and have a choice of walking a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or full marathon with all the routes finishing on the Boston Common.
The Jimmy Fund is comprised of community-based fundraising events that benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s “lifesaving mission to provide compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults.”
When Olivia Ennis, 5, came home from school with a slight fever and a cough her parents took her to an urgent care where they discovered she had pneumonia. After the labs came back, doctors found acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Olivia was diagnosed in March of last year.
“The doctor walked in the room and said straight to our face this looks like childhood leukemia and I think the best way to describe it is I just went numb in that moment,” Ennis said, “I just think I was devastated, heartbroken, shocked there were probably so many emotions just running through my body in one moment.”
Olivia was admitted to the Boston Children’s Hospital for about 32 days, 18 of those days in the ICU. Once she made it to the oncology floor she went through a very rigorous treatment. Olivia went into remission by May 2023 and will plans to continue through May 2025.
“I think one thing that’s been really special to me during Olivia’s diagnosis is that I was able to connect with other cancer moms who were going through the exact same thing,” Ennis said.
Carmichael is another mother whose child was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Jackson (Jax) Carmichael, 4, was diagnosed with leukemia last September. Jackson’s symptoms started out as bruises, pain in his leg and a pale complexion.
“I kind of knew in my gut something was wrong but just kind of hearing it it’s like your worst nightmare,” Carmichael said.
Since getting treatment Jackson is now in remission and will finish treatment next October. The Carmichaels attend the Jimmy Fund Clinic every three weeks and a nurse treats Jackson in-home every week.
Despite the rigorous treatment, the Carmichaels try to keep busy. Jackson and his twin brother, Henry, love playing with cars and trucks and playing outside.
Jackson watched the walk from Boston Children’s Hospital last year and is excited to participate in the walk this year.
Jackson and Olivia will participate in this year’s walk as Walk Heroes for the Jimmy Fund Walk.
Walk Heroes are Dana-Farber patients who are matched with Jimmy Fund Walk teams who walk in their honor. Jackson walks on his match team, Jax Fights Back and Olivia’s mom walks on her family team, Liv Strong, and Olivia is matched with Life is On at Schneider Electric.
Laura Goodman is also walking she was diagnosed last September with a rare cancer, the fifth known case in the world. Last August, Goodman went to the doctor and after several tests including a CAT scan, they found an abscess in her colon. During surgery to remove the abscess they found a germ cell cancer of the colon.
Last October, Goodman began 12 rounds of biweekly chemotherapy. The hope was that the chemotherapy would be effective enough for surgery in April. However, the chemotherapy was so effective that it caused a bowel obstruction.
After four rounds of treatment, Goodman had an emergency surgery where they removed most of her colon, part of her pancreas, part of her stomach and all of her spleen. During the procedure, they found a blood clot in her heart and she was in the hospital for approximately 10 days.
“I remember the doctor coming in and I said ‘You gave me a bowel obstruction’ because the chemo is so strong and he looked at me and he said ‘Yep and I think I put you in remission,’” Goodman said.
Goodman finished chemotherapy in May and has stayed cancer-free since then but will continue to be monitored for the next five years.
She previously walked in honor of her daughter’s friend Erica who passed away of brain cancer when she was seven. She said that she has always walked in honor of childhood cancer but this year will be walking in honor of all cancer.
“October to May I had 12 chemo sessions and a major surgery, that’s when I decided I wanted to do the Jimmy Fund Walk, I want to pay it forward,” Goodman said.
