By Kaitlyn Gallagher

On a lovely weekend in mid-September, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series took over Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway with thousands of dedicated runners. Whether participating in the 5K, 10K, or half marathon, runners represented countless nonprofit organizations with colorful shirts, logos, and team “swag” to raise awareness for their particular cause. I was lucky enough to represent #TeamMSAA as a runner in the Rock ‘n’ Roll 5K along with a few others, including another MSAA employee, Emily!

I felt a bit out of my element running in a large scale race that Saturday morning – I’m certainly no athlete and even spent a few weeks training leading up to the race to make sure I was prepared! However, there was one runner on #TeamMSAA that was no stranger to racing for a cause. John Derry Jr., our top fundraiser for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Series in Philadelphia, has run many times in support of different organizations. This year, John discovered that he could run in support of the MS community, and knew that he had to sign up for a very personal reason.

“MS has had a great impact on my life due to my grandmother having MS. My grandmother has shaped the man I am today,” said John. “I have been taking care of her my entire life. I am currently her primary caretaker. Over the years of caretaking I have grown to learn how to take care of others and pay attention to other’s needs.”

Meeting John was an incredible experience – he is a truly selfless person who not only takes on the responsibilities of caring for his grandmother, but spends his free time training and running to help others living with MS. He has taken his passion for running and turned it into a mission to serve others, and for that MSAA is extremely thankful! John raised over 700 dollars that will go toward providing members of the MS community with free programs and services like cooling vests, mobility equipment, MRI funding, and more.

John plans to continue running in other races, and is currently applying to get his Master’s degree to become a Physician’s Assistant, another decision influenced by his years as a caretaker. We wish John the best of luck in all of his future endeavors, and thank him on behalf of the MS community for his amazing work as a caretaker and advocate!