BOSTON (WHDH) - It takes a lot of heart to run the Boston Marathon. The kind that keeps you going even when every mile tests you along the route.
But for some, heart isn’t just what carries you to the finish line, it’s what you’re still waiting for.
“We can do hard things, like those stuff,” Walker Farrington said.
7-year-old Walker Farrington is waiting to see if he’s a candidate for a new heart at Boston Children’s Hospital. He was born with a congenital heart defect.
“Walker is in need of a heart transplant, and we are in the evaluation,” Nicole Farrington said, Walker’s mother. “The wait times have never been as long as they are now and if he’s approved, it means we will be in patient living at Boston Children’s [Hospital] for approximately 12 -18 months and waiting for Walker’s miracle heart.”
Wellesley native Alex Johnson is running the Boston Marathon for children like Walker. He’s running with the “Miles for Miracles” team, a charirty program dedicated to raising funds for pediatric patients at Boston Children’s Hospital.
“He’s one of the runners that I’m cheering [for],” Walker said.
Walker and Alex are partners in the program. They met over the winter in New York, and they quickly formed a bond.
“Walker is a really special kid,” Alex said. “He’s grown up facing lots of challenges and limitations that most other kids never really think about, but he always seems to be able to [put] a smile on his face.”
And with that smile, Walker spent his day in the hospital writing signs for Alex. He can’t be at the race, but he’ll be cheering on from the hospital.
A bond built on a lot of heart and the drive to keep going, one foot in front of the other. For both it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
“I can’t wait to cross the finish line and see Walker on Monday,” Alex said.
For now, he will continue to wait for a donor, a stronger heart, for the day walking turns into running.
“Go Alex, let’s go Alex!” Walker said.
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