Boston bound: Josh Terry to run iconic 26.2 for Kycie, diabetes cure

ST. GEORGE On Monday, April 18, 2016, almost 30,000 runners will toe the line at the historic Boston Marathon and St. George resident Josh Terry, father of Kycie Terry, the young girl who died this year due to complications related to undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes, will be among them.

Josh Terry laces up for run in preparation for the Boston Marathon, St. George, Utah, December 24, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Josh Terry laces up for run in preparation for the Boston Marathon, St. George, Utah, December 24, 2015 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Kycie Terry’s story touched the lives of the community and the nation as her family so willingly publicly shared their journey with the disease that would eventually claim the life of their only daughter. Support, encouragement and tales of how Kycie’s story helped save the lives of others who were diagnosed in time poured in and now the Terry family wants to pay the kindness forward.

Terry and his wife have committed to continuing to give back in any way they can, he said, and to that end he will be training for and completing his very first marathon to raise money for the Joslin Diabetes Center in hopes of finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

“We received a lot of support and love, not just through prayers and through notes and things,” Terry said, “but financially we received a lot of support and so I feel this is a way to try and give back in any small way.”

Though he runs a few times a week, Terry said he does not consider himself a runner and never does races. Even still, completing a marathon has always been on his bucket list, he said, and now he will be able to do it at the oldest, continuously-running marathon in the world and with an important purpose.

Terry will be joining Team Joslin as they fundraise and train for the iconic 26.2. The Joslin Diabetes Center has been participating in the Boston Marathon for over 10 years, Development Officer of Community Programs Martha Ho said. Each year, John Hancock donates guaranteed entries to select nonprofits that are used to recruit runners to raise money for their causes, Ho said.

Team Joslin 2016 consists of 12 diverse individuals united by their passion for finding a cure for diabetes and who are hoping to raise a total of $180,000 for the Joslin Diabetes Center. To date they have raised $27,000.

Terry first heard about Team Joslin in April of this year when a woman from the team who had heard Kycie’s story reached out to the Terry family and asked if she could run in Kycie’s honor, Terry said.

“We sent her some bracelets,” Terry said, “and she ran the Boston Marathon for Kycie.”

Shortly after Kycie died, Terry said, the same woman contacted him again wondering if he would be interested in running with Team Joslin.

“From his application it was clear that (Terry) would be a fantastic addition to our team,” Ho said. “As we all know, Josh has a very powerful story. It is so special that he has chosen to use this opportunity to raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes and raise money for the 29 million people living in the United States with diabetes.”

In order to run with a charity bib, Terry must raise $7,500 but, he said, he hopes to reach an even loftier goal of $20,000.

Ho said of Terry’s efforts:

Through his fundraising efforts, people will have the opportunity to give money and help people like Kycie. Whether it will support the clinical care programs, research, or educational programs, Josh’s donors will have an impact on the people Joslin Diabetes Center cares for. Furthermore, the funds raised through Team Joslin events, like the Boston Marathon, contribute to Joslin’s capacity to prevent, treat and cure diabetes through cutting-edge research, comprehensive patient care and pioneering education programs.

“I think it’s a very worthy cause, something that people wouldn’t hesitate to donate to,” Terry said, “so now I am just training and trying to build up my miles and deal with the aches and pains that come along with training.”

After the holidays he plans to ramp up both his fundraising and training efforts and is looking forward to this opportunity to give back.

To donate to Terry’s efforts visit the Team Joslin Crowdrise Web page.

About Joslin Diabetes Center

Founded in 1898, Joslin Diabetes Center is world-renowned for its deep expertise in diabetes treatment and research. Joslin is dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes and ensuring that people with diabetes live long, healthy lives.  We develop and disseminate innovative patient therapies and scientific discoveries throughout the world. Joslin is an independent, nonprofit institution affiliated with Harvard Medical School, and a federally-designated Diabetes Research Center.

About Joslin Research

Joslin Research comprises the most comprehensive and productive effort in diabetes research under one roof anywhere in the world. With 30‐plus faculty‐level investigators, Joslin researchers focus on unraveling the biological, biochemical and genetic processes that underlie the development of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and related complications.

Joslin research is highly innovative and imaginative, employing the newest tools in genetics, genomics and proteomics to identify abnormalities that may play a role in the development of diabetes and its complications. Joslin Clinic patients, and others with diabetes, have the option of participating in clinical trials at Joslin to help translate basic research into treatment innovations.

Joslin has one of the largest diabetes training programs in the world, educating 150 M.D. and Ph.D. researchers each year, many of whom go on to head diabetes initiatives at leading institutions all over the globe. For more information, visit www.joslinresearch.org.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

 

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