Dad Pushes Daughter with Rare Disease in Wheelchair as They Finish Boston Marathon Together

Mar. 16, 2025

A Massachusetts father is going the distance with his 10-year-old daughter as they race to find a cure for her rare neurological disorder.

Greg MacCurtain and his daughter Abby, who lives with a rare condition. They have competed in 2 Boston Marathons together and are raising money to fund research for abby’s rare disease.

Greg MacCurtain and his daughter Abby, who lives with a rare condition. They have competed in 2 Boston Marathons together and are raising money to fund research for abby’s rare disease.

Today, the 10-year-old girl requires a wheelchair and a G-tube feeding regimen and is non-verbal.

“They said her life expectancy would be about two years from diagnosis,” adds Greg, who also has 9-year-old son Tomas. “So we obviously surpassed that, thankfully.”

Greg MacCurtain and his daughter Abby, who lives with a rare condition. They have competed in 2 Boston Marathons together and are raising money to fund research for abby’s rare disease.

“She loved it,” he explains. “For the swimming part, she’s in a one-person inflatable kayak [and] I have a rope attached to me. When we get out, I pick her up and we run to the bike.”

“She sits in the front and it’s almost like she’s got the front seat of a rollercoaster,” he notes. “We go for a little ride, and we finish that and then we get back in the running chair and we finish that.”

The task has been no easy feat for Greg, who notes how he’s had to train every morning at 5 a.m. to be able to compete with his daughter.

Greg MacCurtain and his daughter Abby, who lives with a rare condition. They have competed in 2 Boston Marathons together and are raising money to fund research for abby’s rare disease.

Though challenging, the father of two says every moment has been worthwhile.

“We prefer to run together,” he notes. “That’s what we’re doing yearly up until COVID. We haven’t done [a triathlon] since, but we plan to get back into it.”

With their most recent race, the 2021 Boston Marathon, Greg says they opted to compete virtually. However, because they live in Plymouth, they were able to run the exact same route as the in-person marathon on Oct. 11.

Greg MacCurtain and his daughter Abby, who lives with a rare condition. They have competed in 2 Boston Marathons together and are raising money to fund research for abby’s rare disease.

“She knows when I’m struggling. And she kind of looks back up at me and she does laugh at me,” he explains. “Say I’m pushing her uphill, so she’s a little more inclined. I’m a little over her, and she’s looking up at me, smiling and laughing. And it makes me smile back and forget about the suffering from the running.”

Greg MacCurtain and his daughter Abby, who lives with a rare condition. They have competed in 2 Boston Marathons together and are raising money to fund research for abby’s rare disease.

With more races slated for the fall and winter, the father hopes they’ll be able to inspire others.

“She’s making this world a better place, and we are trying to make it a better place for other parents that are going down our road,” he says. “Maybe they’re new to it, so hopefully we can make it a little bit easier that way.”

“We’ve always hung on for hope and eventually treatment and a cure,” he adds, “and we’re working towards that.”

source: people.com

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