Sudbury Woman Runs in Memory of Her Late Dad, Judge Healy

SUDBURY, MA—Sarah Healy's dad passed away at 75 a few months ago, diagnosed in January of last year with a swift moving blood cancer called AML. While he fought the disease, his doctors said the cancer would likely be deadly within a year. But Paul was given another five months of quality life by going on a trial treatment through Dana-Farber.

Healy's dad was Paul Healy, Jr., who served as a judge in Framingham District Court from 1987 to 2010, as detailed in this story in the MetroWest Daily News.

On Oct. 9, Healy is running in memory of her dad, and raising money for Dana-Farber, which is home to groundbreaking studies and discoveries in cancer research and treatment.

"When my father was initially diagnosed, I was overcome with a deep sense of helplessness," writes Healy on her Marathon donation page. "I researched the disease, I donated blood, but I felt there was little else I could do to keep my sorrow at bay. One night when I was tearily sharing this feeling with him, he told me that he recognized the difficult path that lay ahead of him; he would choose to stay positive and focus on living his life day by day. To do this, he said, all he needed was the love and support of his family."

Healy writes that running the BAA half marathon is a way of continuing to support her father's spirit.

"Those of you who knew my father may note the irony that I'm running a race in his honor," writes HEaly. "Protective to a fault, my father discouraged me from all activities that had the potential to result in injury."

Support Healy in the BAA half marathon here.

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