Daughter continues father’s mission to defy cancer with team DFMC

On Monday, April 21, Reilly Bergin will join more than 500 team members as she takes on the Boston Marathon^® as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC), all to benefit the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. While this will be Reilly’s first time running with DFMC, she’ll be continuing a legacy of support for Dana-Farber's lifesaving mission that spans over three decades.

Reilly’s father, Matt, completed his first run with Dana-Farber in 1992. “Martin Hanley, one of earliest DFMC runners, was the person who introduced me to the DFMC team,” he recalls. Matt was motivated to join the team, and to keep returning, when he learned that 100% of runner funds raised goes toward basic cancer research. “The rest is history!” Matt adds.

Over the years, Matt has been heavily involved with DFMC, helping to launch the first organized group runs, recruiting new teammates, and serving on the advisory board. Matt even met his wife, Heather, during DFMC training in 1998. The two were married a few years later, and today, they have four kids and 49 marathon runs with Dana-Farber completed between them: 17 for Heather and 32 for Matt, and Reilly's 2025 run will be the 50th DFMC for Team Bergin!

However, while training for the 2024 Boston Marathon, Matt began to realize that running the entire race wouldn’t be possible—his leg muscles would no longer cooperate. Matt was diagnosed with hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) in 2019, a condition that gradually paralyzes the lower body, and for the last five years he has defied the odds by running with re-fashioned walking braces. Over time, it was becoming clear that even with the braces, running long distances wasn’t an option. Determined to start one last marathon as a runner, Matt was able to make it to mile 10 of the 2024 race before he had to drop out. “To see Heather, the kids, my mother-in-law, and brother-in-law all waiting for me at my mile-10 finish line was such a joy. Heather set up such an amazing way for me to finish my marathon running career,” Matt reflects.

2024 was Matt’s final race as a runner, but he and Heather will be there as spectators this year to see Reilly carry on their legacy. When asked what it feels like to take up the mantle, Reilly, 18, says it feels like a full-circle moment. “It really hit me when, on the first Saturday group run, I ran on the very sidewalk that I have been cheering on my mom and dad from since I was born,” Reilly notes. “I have gone through at least three ‘Future Boston Marathoner’ t-shirts and have been to many Dana-Farber Pasta Parties, counting down the years until I was able to run.”

Reilly is thankful that although her dad isn’t running, he has still been there every step of her training, offering guidance and support at every DFMC group run. "It's quality time that I wouldn’t get to spend with him otherwise," Reilly says. Her parents have both been valuable resources throughout her training, offering advice and encouragement. “We are so proud of her,” Matt shares.

Although Matt will be cheering on the DFMC team from the sidelines this year, he’s determined to re-join the 2026 team in a new division: handcycling. After dedicating months to training and learning how to handcycle, Matt qualified for the 2025 Boston Marathon as a handcyclist at the Baystate Marathon with a 2:09 finishing time. However, due to a recent cancer diagnosis, he will instead be spectating for Reilly this year. Matt plans to requalify during 2025 for a 2026 Boston Marathon entry.

Matt’s determination to keep racing with Team DFMC is stronger than ever, now fueled by an even more personal connection to the cause. Receiving treatment at Dana-Farber since February, Matt has been able to find a positive in his cancer diagnosis, which is getting to see firsthand the progress that has been made since he first began fundraising with DFMC.

“Back in 1992 when a person said they had cancer, the next question was, ‘How much time do you have left?’” Matt recalls. “Today, cancer is so much more treatable, and the words ‘I’m cancer-free’ are becoming more common. Over my 32 years with DFMC, I’ve seen the connection between the team’s fundraising for the Claudia Adams Barr Program and the advancements in treatment options across all types of cancer, and now I’m benefiting from those efforts myself.”

Matt is hoping he’ll get to make his own “I’m cancer free” declaration soon, but for now, he’s just focused on watching Reilly cross the finish line on April 21.

To honor the Bergin family’s legacy of giving back, consider supporting Reilly and the rest of the DFMC team as they race to defy cancer, 26.2 miles at a time. 

Join runners like Matt and Reilly in supporting the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research, or sign up to run for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in support of compassionate patient care and groundbreaking cancer research for children and adults. 

Since 1948, the generosity of millions of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save countless lives and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and families worldwide through community-based fundraising events and other programs that solely and directly benefit Dana-Farber. Learn more about how you can get involved at JimmyFund.org, and follow the Jimmy Fund on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram: @TheJimmyFund.