Fight Like a Ferrier

PJ Ferrier is a bright, handsome, amazing young man. A National Honor Student and 2014 graduate of Ashland High School, PJ left his mark at Ashland High in the classroom as well as on the lacrosse and football fields. A gifted athlete, PJ played lacrosse for four years and during his sophomore, junior and senior years, he was a proud member of the Ashland Clockers Football Team. In his senior year he rushed for over 1,000 yards.

After graduation, PJ headed to UMass Lowell where he began studying for a career in Physical Therapy. At UMass, PJ was a Club Sports Supervisor and made the Dean’s List each semester. During his school vacations, PJ helped coach the Ashland High Football Team, was a substitute for the Ashland Public Schools, and worked at Outback Steak House and Pizza Bella in Ashland. He also worked with his dad, Paul, who is a mason. Like any 20-year old, PJ was looking forward to heading back to college this fall to begin his junior year. However, PJ’s road has taken a detour and this week, instead of heading back to campus, he’ll be heading to Boston for cancer treatment.

On Christmas Eve 2015, PJ was a passenger in a car that was T-Boned and he suffered a herniated disc accompanied by sciatica. After winter break PJ returned to school, and despite the chronic pain he finished the school year. PJ returned home to Ashland and continued with physical therapy, yoga, and chiropractic adjustments this past summer hoping for some relief for his hip and back pain. When the physical therapist suggested an MRI, PJ and his family did not hesitate and immediately scheduled the test. The MRI revealed more than a herniated disc. It was a tumor and PJ had a biopsy at Children’s Hospital in Boston. On August 30, 2016, PJ was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer, in his left hip.

PJ begins chemotherapy in Boston on Wednesday, September 7th, and doctors say treatment will likely last at least a year. Eventually, PJ will have surgery to remove the tumor. He has a phenomenal team at Dana Farber/Children’s Hospital who will care for him. His family and friends are there for him too. Cancer touches everyone.

PJ’s mom, Carol, is an adored member of the Ashland Public School community. Carol has been at the Pittaway and Warren Schools as a teaching assistant for ten years and for the past four years has greeted many children in the community at Breakfast Bunch and in the Extended Day Program. In addition, Carol has also been a dedicated billing manager at a clinic in Wayland for twenty years.

PJ’s sixteen-year-old sister, Kayla, is also a familiar face at the Extended Day Program in Ashland, having been a volunteer in the program for the past two years. This year she is working in the program twice a week. A junior at Ashland High, Kayla is on the volleyball team, involved in the Fan Club, the Make a Wish Foundation, and works at Chick-fil-A in Framingham. She’s always been a devoted sister and is already organizing a bracelet-making group along with PJ’s friends to help raise money.

PJ will one day make an exceptional contribution to the field of physical therapy – or any other endeavor that he chooses. PJ has always succeeded at whatever goal he has set out to achieve. But most importantly, PJ is the kind of young man that people admire and adore. His loyalty, love and friendship reach far and wide. He is a devoted and loyal son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend. PJ’s maternal grandmother, Mary, recalls how PJ took such care of his great-grandmother--making her tea and toast and sitting with her, just talking. On April 30th PJ became a Godfather to Parker, his cousin’s baby boy. You couldn’t ask for a more loving Godfather – before long PJ will be teaching Parker how to toss a football and hold a lacrosse stick. There is no doubt, they will have a long and loving relationship.

PJ will beat this and he has an army of people who are behind him and his family every step of the way. So many people have asked what they can do to help. Between them, Carol and Paul work three jobs. They will need to take time off to care for PJ, take him to and from doctor appointments and treatments and continue to  cook, clean, and care for their whole household. Cancer takes its toll in so many ways and to fight it is expensive. This GoFundMe campaign is just one way we can show the Ferrier family our support. Any donation is greatly appreciated. Please share and keep PJ and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Together we will Fight like a Ferrier.