Christopher Barry is one of life’s quiet superheroes. He has faced more challenges than most—far beyond surviving brain cancer as a child and again as an adult. A recent massive stroke has changed everything. I’m running a 4x4x48 race to support Chris and his family as they navigate recovery, care, and hope.

Chris is still at Spaulding in Charlestown and continues to make progress across the board. This stroke has taken away Chris’s ability to speak, stand, walk, and complete many of the simple daily tasks we all take for granted—but he is working hard every single day to regain what was lost. For those unfamiliar with stroke recovery, there is often a critical window (roughly the first six months) where the most progress can be made, which is why aggressive, intensive therapy is so important.

Unfortunately, this week his insurance decided they will no longer cover this acute level of care at Spaulding and are actively pushing to discharge him to a step-down facility. We have been frantically researching inpatient rehab facilities throughout Massachusetts, specifically looking for a high-quality program with intensive therapy and strong experience in stroke rehabilitation.

God bless Chris's parents. They have been by his side every single day—supporting him, advocating for him, and never leaving him alone. As they navigate this next step, they are asking for prayers that Chris lands in a facility that prioritizes what is truly best for him. We all know how broken the system can be, but it is heartbreaking to watch insurance decisions interfere with necessary care. If Chris doesn’t need acute rehab… honestly I’m not sure who does.

Even in the midst of this stressful week, Chris stood for over two minutes with support, sang “Happy Birthday” and worked on playing Connect Four with his OT.