Families Helping Families – Gavin & Kristen

Chantal Brandimarte is the Event Manager at Franciscan Hospital for Children. You can learn more about upcoming hospital and fundraising events by visiting our Calendar here.

Gavin Gill is a 9-year-old boy who was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a congenital condition that causes cognitive delays, low muscle tone, an insatiable appetite, and poor functioning of the hypothalamus – a part of the brain that is responsible for the production of many of our body’s essential hormones. Gavin has been a patient of Franciscan Hospital for Children’s Prader-Willi Clinic since he was 3 months old, working with and receiving care from the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jane O’Brien.

Prader-Willi syndrome is a complex genetic condition that can cause morbid obesity if not treated, and treatment can be a stressful road to navigate for both the patient and their family. Gavin’s father, Brian, reflects on their experience thus far, “Franciscan has been our Guardian Angel throughout the last 9 and a half years. Gavin has four older brothers, who have all been to the clinic with him at different times. They have gotten to know the staff members who treat Gavin, and that has helped to ease the worrying that they do about their brother. Franciscan has helped our whole family deal with the health issues facing Gavin.”

In December, 2014, Brian obtained a Boston Marathon bib number and immediately called his friend and local Boston Police Detective, Kevin McGill.  The McGills and Gills have been lifelong friends, as Kevin and Brian grew up in the same neighborhood.  Brian calls Kevin “a mentor to my brothers and I, and a role model for me growing up.”  Brian remembers Kevin coaching him in youth sports and always keeping an eye on him and his brothers.   When Brian presented the idea of the Boston Marathon as a way to raise funds for Franciscan Hospital for Children, Kevin immediately asked one of his three daughters if they would like to run.

Kevin’s daughter Kristen said yes without hesitation.  Kristen is a 29-year-old graduate of the University of Rhode Island, who now works as a Fitness Specialist at Emerson College.  2015 marked her third time running the Boston Marathon after she was not allowed to finish in 2013, and completed the course in 2014.

As Brian Gill describes, “Kristen said yes without giving it a second thought. She reminds me so much of her dad, never asking, ‘why me?’ Instead she asks, ‘how can I help?’ Throughout this horrible winter Kristen trained for the marathon and never complained once, only saying, ‘If Gavin can fight his fight every day, I can finish this race one more time.’

Kristen finished the 2015 Boston Marathon in a time of 4:32:03 and raised over $4,500 for Franciscan Hospital for Children.

Gavin and Kristen both ran the Franciscan Hospital for Children Road Race for team Gavin’s Gang in July. The Race, held at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, raised $80,000 for Franciscan Hospital for Children. Gavin’s Gang had 20+ team members who completed the 5K or 10K on race day, and raised over $1,000 for our kids. A huge thank you to everyone who participated in this wonderful community event! It’s extraordinary people like Gavin, Kristen, and their families who inspire us all to be strong, generous, and constantly striving to stand for something greater than ourselves.