North End resident Cara Curran is lacing up her sneakers for her first Boston Marathon this year on behalf of Joslin Diabetes Center, where two of her younger brothers receive their type 1 diabetes care.
Brian, the second youngest of the family, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2004 at the age of 5 and started a fundraiser for Joslin called “Skate for a Cure,” through which he raised nearly $8,000 while skating 100 laps around the local ice hockey rink. Four years later, their eldest brother Timmy was also diagnosed with T1D at the age of 12 and joined Brian in skating to raise money for Joslin.
Now, it’s big sister Cara’s turn to fundraise. After growing so accustomed to life with blood sugar checks, highs and lows, and stress over medication timing, Cara hopes to “see a day where Brian and Timmy can live worry-free and diabetes-free.”
“We used to strap coolers on the back of our dirt bikes when we would go deep into the woods just in case we needed insulin or decided to stop for milkshakes on the way home,” Cara said. “I want to someday look back on those days as a distant memory; I want to grow old with my brothers, free from T1D complications, and know that we helped Joslin find a cure.”
Cara is a Physical Therapist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and has been training to run her first full marathon for about three years. She applied as a charity runner and since joining Team Joslin, Cara has been envisioning her friends and family cheering her on from the sidelines.
“I can’t wait to cross that finish line, not just because it’s on my bucket list, but because running the Boston Marathon and being a part of Team Joslin means that we are all one step closer to curing diabetes.”
Cara hopes to raise $10,000 for Joslin to aid in its diabetes research and treatment efforts. Find more information and donate to Cara’s run here.
