A Lunenburg family who lost their daughter in May to brain cancer has formed a special bond with Red Sox star Jarren Duran who wears a bracelet bearing her name.
Last year, in the midst of Hadley Boucher’s brave battle with an inoperable brain tumor, she met Duran, her favorite Sox player, with whom she shared a birthday.
The Sox outfielder took pictures with Haddie during pregame, autographed a baseball and accepted a green bracelet with the words “Hope for Haddie.”
During the game, as the Bouchers watched, Duran hit an inside-the-park home run.
“This iconic picture of him crossing home plate with his arms up celebrating, and perfectly placed is ‘Hope for Haddie,’” mom Alyssa said. “It was what we needed at that time.”
Nearly a year later, Duran still wears his bracelet for fans around the world to see, now in honor of Haddie and raising awareness for her rare cancer, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
“The hard days no one can prepare you for when it comes to grief, especially as a mother and father and sisters,” Alyssa said. “What [Duran] is doing, even if he doesn’t intend to – I go to bed happy knowing the impact she’s made on complete strangers.”
Last week, Alyssa, along with Hadley’s father Derek and her sisters Olivia and Peyton, returned to Fenway and thanked Duran for his support.
“We don’t expect anything; we’re very simple people,” Derek said. “So, what he’s done more so on his own, is just – it’s been hard to explain… I don’t even know how to express it, how much we’re thankful.”
In the second inning, on his first pitch, Duran hit a bomb to right field, another home run for the Bouchers to witness, this time as Hadley watched far above the Green Monster, her family said.
“We were cheering, we were silent, but we had tears,” Alyssa said. “It was just one of the biggest ‘Haddie winks’ that we could’ve gotten.”
Since Hadley’s death, the family has felt her presence everywhere in signs they call ‘Haddie winks,’ starting with a rainbow above her school on the day of her passing.
“Just reminds me she’s with us, she’s always here,” Alyssa said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Leave a Comment