Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Family History - Danny McGaughy


Many thanks to Jacqueline Dupree and her husband Bill Walsh for sending the attached obituary of my late brother. Danny passed away in 1974 of leukemia. 

My son is now a few years older then Danny was when he was diagnosed.  I can't imagine the pain my parents must have felt hearing this, seeing him suffer through painful bone-marrow treatments, and trying to keep a happy face for me and my younger brother during Danny's final few months.  A few months after his passing Shepherd Park Elementary, where my older brother I both went, held a walk-a-thon to raise money for cancer research. 

My parents created a silver-lining. As mentioned in the article, they founded Candlelighters, a support group for families that have children with cancer.  For this they were selected by Washingtonian magazine as "Washingtonians of the Year", in 1981 (http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/washingtonians-of-the-year-1971-to-2011/). 

A search today on 'candlelighters' brings up numerous local non-profits dedicated to children with cancer and their families.  The organisations are located throughout the US, as well as Canada, the UK and quite likely many other places. 


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