Greater Nashua
Childhood cancer survivor running Boston Marathon
NASHUA - In April 1995, Paula Burke stepped up to the starting line for the 99th running of the Boston Marathon -- looking on was Tara Goodhue, a nine-year-old with Stage 4 ovarian cancer. Thirty years later, Goodhue, a Nashua resident, is now a high school science teacher in Lowell, Mass. At this year’s marathon, she will be taking on Burke’s role in the Patient Partner Program sponsored by the Jimmy Fund. Goodhue will be running the storied course for Paige, a seven-year-old who has spent the past four years battling neuroblastoma. According to Boston Children’s Hospital, approximately 650 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year. It is typically discovered before a child’s fifth birthday. “Running for Paige is a full-circle experience,” said Goodhue. “The Patient Partner Program was a bright light during a stormy time in my ...
