Marathon for Spinal Cord Injury: Support Moriarty's Cause

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly five years since my dad, my brother Liam, and I took a holiday ski trip to Mount Snow that would unforeseeably alter our lives. On December 27, 2019, my dad’s skiing accident on that snowy mountaintop led to a broken spine, multiple broken ribs, and a punctured lung, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He continues to battle complications from his paralysis every day.

Many of you know my dad well, each with your own “Moriarty Story,” I’m sure. For those less familiar with the situation, here’s a bit of an update. After the accident, my dad underwent a six-hour surgery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical center, where doctors realigned his spine and added 8 screws to his vertebra in the lumber region due to a crushed L1. He spent weeks in the ICU recovering from the intense surgery. During that time, my mom, Liam and I made weekly trips to New Hampshire – juggling school, track meets, and hospital visits, which quickly became our new normal.

After about a month, my dad was transferred to Spaulding Rehabilitation, but within days, he became nearly nonverbal and severely ill. He was rushed to Mass General Hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). GBS is rare, affecting between 0.6 and 4 people per 100,000, and is more common among spinal cord injury patients. After his diagnosis and during the height of the COVID shutdown, my dad spent over six months at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, working daily with incredible physicians and therapists. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, family visits weren’t allowed.

Now, for the latest. For those of you who know my dad personally, he’s a fighter – always keeping his spirits up with a joke or witty remark. However, this past year has been especially tough. He’s been in and out of the hospital all year, battling severe infections and complications. The most serious is a persistent wound on his back, and the antibiotics meant to help are taking a toll on his energy and health. It’s been incredibly difficult for my dad, and for Liam and me, seeing him go through this.

In times like this, I try to focus on who my dad truly is at heart. He’s always been a supportive presence, especially when it comes to sports. Growing up, he was Liam and I’s sports coach and had an extreme passion for working with and motivating kids athletically. When I ran for Fairfield Ludlowe’s track and cross-country teams, my dad was at every meet, unless he was in the hospital. His voice was impossible to miss—chanting, “LET'S GO GRACE!” on the third bend of the track, whether I was running the 200m, 400m, 800m, mile, or two-mile.

I’ll never forget this one race. It was at states during indoor track. I was running the anchor 800 leg of the Sprint Medley Relay. For those unfamiliar, the SMR involves two runners doing 200m each, one runner doing 400m, and the anchor doing 800m. I got the baton in 6th place, but we needed to finish in the top two to earn All-State honors and shave five seconds off our time in order to qualify for nationals. As soon as I got the baton, I decided—I’m taking us to All-State. On the first lap, at the third bend, I heard my dad’s voice booming, “COME ON GRACE, GO! GO! GO!” It lit a fire in me. I passed one person each lap, and on the third bend of the final lap—right in front of my dad—I overtook the girl in second. We became All-State and qualified for nationals. That was one of the best moments of my running career, and my dad’s support was at the heart of it.

Now, in honor of everything my dad has supported me through, I’m raising money for spinal cord injury patients and their families by running in the Eversource Hartford Marathon on October 19. I invite you to join me in supporting this cause, and together, we can make a difference.