Friends of Jaclyn’s Angel Walk Honors Children Lost to Cancer
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation hosted its fifth-annual walk on the Walkway Over the Hudson this past Sunday to honor children who have died of pediatric cancer. The event commenced in the center of the Walkway when doves were released, each symbolizing a young member of the foundation, or “angel” who died in the past year. The emotional walk was led by Jaclyn Murphy, a survivor of childhood cancer herself, and the inspirational behind the foundation.
At nine years-old, Murphy was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor that cut her chances of survival down to 30 percent. “I had to learn how to live in the moment and enjoy things as they came,” she said.
The diagnosis forced the athlete to put her passions of lacrosse and soccer aside to focus on her treatment. “Cancer became the new thing to battle through,” she said.
During her treatment, Murphy was connected with the Northwestern University women’s lacrosse team, and was later “adopted” by the team. “They were the best thing that could’ve happened to me. They became my big sisters and when I was with them, I was just a normal kid,” she said.
It was that experience that inspired Murphy and her family to create the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. The group’s three different programs work to improve the quality of life for children with cancer, their siblings and children in hospice by pairing them with teams, clubs or organizations. The foundation has helped over 750 families worldwide, with volunteers ranging from the West Point Parachute team to the University of California Berkeley Softball team.
“Our hope is to give the love and camaraderie that only a team can give,” Murphy said. She believes that teams can offer a unique support system and distraction for the children, but the players are often the ones who find the most inspiration through the program. Erin Perkins, executive director of the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, said, “A simple smile on the face of a child that is battling cancer will fuel the next sprint, lap, practice or game.”
While many athletes in the organization credit the relationship with their “adoptee” with inspiring them to go into the medical research field, the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation is not a research related organization. Instead, it focuses on improving the present for children in the organization. “Much like any cancer organization we are in business to hopefully be out of business,” said Perkins. “We want to find a cure, but in the meantime we will continue to focus on quality of life.”
The Angel Walk was created to honor the children involved in the foundation who have died. According to Murphy, the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation has had 144 participating children die, or, as she said, “earn their wings.”
“We never want any family to think that their child has been forgotten,” said Perkins. Sunday’s event began on the east side of The Walkway Over the Hudson where participants walked to the center of the bridge together. Along the rails of the bridge were paper doves with the names of every child in the organization who has died and by what team they were adopted.
In the center of the walkway, Murphy led the release of 40 doves which represented the children who have died. “It’s a special celebration of life, but I think it helps emphasize the reality of this ‘beast’,” said Perkins.
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation continues to expand and include more families in their organization. While this event was a sobering one, Murphy said that their goal is to continue to improve the lives of children affected by cancer and change the perspectives of those in the community. Perkins said, “each day is a new opportunity to give a child a second chance at happiness, despite what is going on in their treatment schedules.”
