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Patrick Clancy completes Boston Marathon in memory of 3 late children
The Duxbury resident raised thousands for Boston Children's Hospital in honor of his children Cora, Dawson, and Callan. Their mother is charged with their murders.
Patrick Clancy, the Duxbury man whose three young children were killed last January, ran the Boston Marathon Monday after raising more than $75,000 for Boston Children’s Hospital.
Clancy, who finished in 3 hours, 59 minutes, and 19 seconds, said he was inspired to run the race by the way staff at Boston Children’s handled the tragedy.
His children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan were killed by their mother, Lindsay, whose lawyer has laid the groundwork for an insanity defense. Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead in the immediate aftermath of the attack. Callan was flown to Boston Children’s with traumatic injuries, and he died a few days later.
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“Callan spent his last moments in my arms before he passed at Boston Children’s Hospital. Although I wished so badly for a different outcome, I was overwhelmed by the compassion and professionalism of the doctors and nurses in the ICU. They gave me a little more time with my boy and I’ll forever be grateful for that,” Clancy wrote on his fundraising page.
Ahead of the race, Clancy explained how he was trying to be more like his late children, exhibiting their “passion in life” while working to bring positive change for others in their memory.
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It was Clancy’s first marathon. His six months of training involved “diet changes, injuries, ongoing physical therapy, and even some moments of doubt,” he wrote. On each run, he wore his “Happy Callan” bracelet and brought with him a resin imprinted with the kids’ handprints that Boston Children’s gave him after they died.
Clancy completed the marathon with Cora, Dawson, and Callan’s names written on the back of his shirt, which had other mementos affixed to it.
“They had short lives, but they had really good lives,” he told WCVB after crossing the finish line.
Clancy initially set a fundraising goal of $65,000. He had raised $76,735 as of Tuesday afternoon. The money was raised through the Boston Children’s Miles for Miracles program.
On the fundraising page, Clancy described his children. Cora said she wanted to be a doctor and a mother, and loved helping to take care of her brothers. Dawson was an exceptionally friendly toddler who showed a “willingness to share and ability to bring smiles to people’s faces.” Callan was a happy baby with an infectious laugh who clearly loved his siblings.
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“In the short time they were here, my kids brought me so much joy and couldn’t have made their dad prouder,” he wrote.
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