Tyler's Fundraising Page

Hi everyone,

My name is Tyler Callahan.  I am from Marblehead, MA and am a freshman at Boston College.  I am running the 128th Boston Marathon to give back to an organization that has given me so much.   A year ago,  my grandfather, Arthur O'Neil, was diagnosed with Malignant Mesothelioma.  His future remains unknown to all of us but the incredible staff at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has been and continues to be, a guiding light for us all. 

To me, he is "Papa". He is the one that I can always expect a text from stating "How was school today how are you doing? I love you very much. " It is his way of showing how much he cares about me and what is happening in my life. He is the one that I could always count on to come to a track or cross country meet no matter how far. Good or bad, he is there for me and our entire family. With the grim diagnosis and college fast approaching, I realized that the amount of time I would be able to spend with him would decrease dramatically. Thankfully the medical staff at the Dana Farber have been able to give our family and his vast group of friends another 4-5 more years with him.  I am so thankful for that.

For those who do not know my Papa, he can make friends with anyone-I mean anyone-- his nurses at the Dana Farber would fight over who would get to administer his chemotherapy. His friendliness is intrinsically part of him.  It is not something that he has to work to do. For those who know him, we all try to emulate his ability to accept and love people for who they are. We all strive to be just like him.

I am running the 128th Boston Marathon for my Papa, Arthur O'Neil,  and to say thank you to an amazing group of doctors and nurses that have given him a few more years to live. I could not be more grateful and honored to run for this charity. 

Thank you for your support! Together, we're headed toward the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer.

Thank you,

Tyler Callahan