Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
Maureen Keegan is running Boston in support of Dana-Farber
"I run so one day, no one will have to live through the heartbreaking experience of watching a loved one die from cancer."
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. If you’re running the marathon, you can share your story here.
Name: Maureen Keegan
Age: 36
From: Boston
This year, I will run the Boston Marathon for the third time. It will also be the third time that I run the Boston Marathon for Dana-Farber.
When I first ran in 2015, my mom was a 20+ year breast cancer survivor. When I ran in 2022, she had been successfully fighting metastatic breast cancer for 4.5 years. And when I run in April, it will be in her memory after she lost her fight with cancer in March 2023.
Advertisement:
My mom was my best friend and while I will always wish I could’ve had many more years with her, I am so grateful for the 5.5 years that I had with her after her metastatic diagnosis, which was made possible by immunotherapy treatment that she received through a clinical trial. While my mom didn’t receive treatment at Dana-Farber, I know that the innovative basic cancer research that the Barr Program powers things like the trial that my mom was able to benefit from and is enabling huge strides to the ultimate finish line of a world without cancer.
Advertisement:
I run so that as many people as possible can find treatments that work for them and so one day, no one will have to live through the heartbreaking experience of watching a loved one die from cancer. Running the Boston Marathon this year is also a reminder of how strong I am and a victory lap of sorts after an incredibly challenging year. It will be bittersweet to cross the finish line without being able to celebrate with my mom when I finish, but I know she would be so proud and I’m so grateful to be able to honor her memory in this way.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
Be civil. Be kind.
Read our full community guidelines.To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address