Danielle Spivack is running for pediatric cancer patients and their families
"At mile 20, when my legs are tired, Devin and his family will fill my heart until I finish."
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 #WhyImRunningBoston story here.
Name: Danielle Spivack
Age: 28
From: Tel Aviv, Israel
I don’t believe in coincidences so when Christine Suau, a Framingham native, started working remotely for my company based on the other side of the world, I knew it was bigger than that.
As a native of the South Shore, I instantly felt connected to her. I learned that her son had passed away at just six years old from DIPG, a rare type of pediatric cancer with no cure and 0% survival rate. Christine started WhyNotDevin, a nonprofit whose hashtag I remember seeing on news channels and across social media in 2018. Because of its rarity, there is little funding for DIPG, but WhyNotDevin is dedicated to supporting families through the unimaginable.
It took me moving 5,000 miles away from Boston, just to bring me back. Back to this historic marathon — a marathon I grew up watching and volunteering at — and back to a city with so much heart.
I’m running because Devin can’t. And right now, no kid with DIPG will ever get the chance to. I run for them, for their families, for the hope that one day that will change. And at mile 20, when my legs are tired, Devin and his family will fill my heart until I finish.
Editor’s note: Entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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