William O’Connor is running Boston for Mass General Brigham

"I am honored to have the opportunity to run for the amazing hospital that has transformed my brother's life."

William O'Connor is running the 2024 Boston Marathon.

April 6, 2024

1 minute to read

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.

Name: William O’Connor
Age: 20
From: Hingham

I am running the 2024 Boston Marathon for Mass General Brigham, more specifically the Pediatric Cancer team. Mass General and the Boston Marathon have had a major impact on me and my family’s lives.

Growing up outside of Boston, the marathon is known as a holiday as it was usually during public school’s April break. Whether it was watching the race on TV, hearing about a family friend running, or my dad finishing in 2007, the marathon became a bucket list goal. I have previous running experience through playing soccer and running track in high school, but marathon training is a different beast.

I am extremely excited to be able to run for Mass General Brigham and their Pediatric Cancer team. My older brother, Jack, was diagnosed with epilepsy at a very young age and normal medicine did not help his seizures. Mass General doctors decided to try the ketogenic diet that consists of low-carb and high-fat foods. The rare decision to place my brother on this strict food plan changed his life. Jack would have 40-50 seizures a day while on medication, but slowly they went away through the diet. After almost a decade of high-fat foods, Jack is seizure-free and a thriving 22 year old. I am honored to have the opportunity to run for the amazing hospital that has transformed my brother’s life.

Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.