Maurine and Patrick's Troopers' Fundraising Page

We are Maurine and Patrick’s Troopers.  Our team is walking in memory of two people who lost their lives to cancer at ages 51 and 54, way too yound.

Maurine Turcotte was one of the most courageous, optimistic and humorous people you could ever meet.  Maurine was a patient of Dr. Harold Burstein at Dana-Farber.  She had a rare form of breast cancer that was constantly changing and very difficult to treat.  But she was a willing participant in any drug trials that were available.  At one point she was one of 27 people in the country to begin a drug trial of TDM1 and one of 3 people to be given a third drug.  Maurine would tell you “I am the research”.   She could have made the decision the stop treatment and enjoy a better quality of life until the end, but she felt it was her place to do whatever she could to help in the research and that maybe all of the drugs would extend her life until a cure was found.  Unfortunately that did not happen, but without people like Maurine and the research being done at Dana-Farber, there will never be a cure.

In the fall of 2010, Patrick Sullivan had a nagging pain in and around his left ear, after a few doctor’s appointment and a couple rounds of antibiotics, it was determined that he had a tumor on his parotid gland. On 12/16/10, he had surgery. The tumor was malignant and had spread to his lymph nodes and nerves. He was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma of the Parotid Gland (Head and Neck cancer). Pat lived in Fredericksburg, VA. (app. 60 miles south of DC).  Unfortunately the disease had spread to other parts of his body. He tried whatever treatment they suggested for the next 2 ½ years. Pat served in the Air Force National Guard, retiring in 2009 after 32 years of service. He continued to work as a civilian for them until 11/1/13. Not only did Pat continue to work during his illness, he also trained and became a volunteer EMT for his local rescue squad. Pat was extremely proud of his military service as well as his time on the rescue squad. Patrick lost his fight on November 30, 2013, at 54 years old.

On Sunday, October 6th, participants of the 2024 Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk will take steps to change the odds for patients facing cancer.

The funds raised through the Walk enable leaders at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to apply monies rapidly when promising new research opportunities arise. Your gift enhances the programs and initiatives that serve patients and their families who come to Dana-Farber for its signature "total patient care philosophy." These gifts provide the most forward thinking form of support.  The funds raised by our team this year will go directly to the research of Dr. Harold Burstein in the field of Breast Cancer in memory of Maurine Turcotte.

Thank you for supporting Dana-Farber, the Jimmy Fund and Maurin and Patrick’s Troopers. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.