Beverly Swymer, of Milford, to participate in Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk

For the past 18 years, Beverly Swymer, of Milford, has participated in the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk, a one-day charity walk that supports all types of cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Swymer family has been involved with the Jimmy Fund since 1980, the year Swymer’s late daughter, Karen, then 10, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer that primarily affects children. Consequently, Karen immediately underwent surgery and radiation treatment followed by two years of chemotherapy at Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic. Years later when she was in remission, after graduating from Marian High School and Smith College, she realized a dream of hers was to become a lawyer and entered Boston College Law School.

In 1995, Swymer alongside her husband, George, and their four daughters, Christine, Emily, Laura and Karen, participated in their first Walk together. The experience marked the end of a courageous battle for the family and the start of new beginnings. It wasn’t until Karen’s second year of law school that the family would find themselves back at the Jimmy Fund Clinic. A routine follow-up x-ray revealed that Karen, then 25, had osteosarcoma, another type of bone cancer that had formed just above her right elbow and had metastasized to both of her lungs. Subsequently, Karen withdrew from law school and began a grueling 18 months of chemotherapy. She had major surgery to remove multiple legions on both of her lungs and her right arm was amputated. In keeping with her fighting spirit, Karen became a spokesperson for Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund Clinic.

In May of 1999, Karen was able to graduate from law school. That summer she passed the bar exam and by September she was a practicing attorney at a top law firm in Boston. Nearly six years after her second relapse, the unthinkable happened. Another routine x-ray revealed a large tumor in Karen’s left lung. In February 2001, Karen married Bill Shanahan, the love of her life.

On April 29, 2002, Karen lost her battle to cancer. Karen’s legacy of helping others inspired Swymer and her family to form Team Karen Swymer Shanahan, a group of 30 friends and family members who annually walk in honor of Karen. To date, the team has raised nearly $364,000 for the cause. This year will be Swymer’s 20th year participating in the event.

On Sunday, Sept. 21, she and members of Team Karen Swymer Shanahan will join an expected 8,500 participants who will walk up to 26.2 miles in the 26th annual event to raise more than $7.5 million for the Jimmy Fund for lifesaving adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber. 

On the evening of Sept. 21, the Prudential Center and The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge will glow in red and yellow to mark the 26th annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk.

This year’s event will bring the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk’s 26-year fundraising total to more than $100 million. To register for the 26th annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai (#JimmyFundWalk) on Sept. 21, or to support a walker, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255. Registration is easy and walkers can enter the discount code NEWS for $5 off.