20th ANNUAL B+ 5k RUN/WALK!
20th Annual B+ 5k Run/Walk
I cannot believe that this year’s June 17th B+ 5k Run/Walk will be our 20th!!!
Since that first B+ 5k, while we were still in the hospital with Andrew, The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation (www.BePositive.org) has become the largest provider of financial assistance to families of kids with cancer in the country! Last year, we helped 4,000 families with over $6,300,000. Additionally, we have given out 350 research grants since inception, with over $3,100,000 being awarded in 2025 alone. You are saving lives!
I miss Andrew so much and it would mean the world to my family and me if we could rally to make this 20th Annual B+ 5k the biggest and best ever. Please register today and share with your friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Please give a few minutes of thought to how you could help us bring out a big crowd (I.e. company team, school team, etc.). Please feel free to contact me at Joe@LiveLikeAndrew with your thoughts or if you’d like my help. Also, please remember that you can join us virtually as well.
Thank you very much!!!
B+ Hero Kalvin
I know we tend to think of kids with cancer as small children, but it affects kids of all ages, like 18-year-old Kalvin…and 14-year-old Andrew.
“Dear B+ Foundation Team,
I am writing with a heart full of gratitude for the incredible support you provided to my family. The assistance of over $900 toward my rent came at a moment when we were stretched to our limit—emotionally, financially, and physically—and your generosity brought us a sense of relief that I can still feel today.
Kalvin’s leukemia battle has changed our lives in ways I never imagined. At 18 years old, he is standing at the threshold of adulthood—a time when he should be focused on building his future, exploring opportunities, and stepping into the world with confidence. Instead, he spent these years fighting a battle far bigger than any young person should ever have to face. Watching Kalvin endure pain, chemotherapy, and the uncertainty of each new test was both heartbreaking and inspiring. Even during the hardest hospital stays, he carried himself with a strength and maturity that humbled me every single day.
Nothing prepared us for what happened in November 2024—the month everything changed. On November 12th at 1:30 AM, I had to call 911 when Kalvin suddenly became critically ill. Within an hour, we were transferred to UVA, where he was immediately admitted. What we thought would be a routine complication quickly spiraled into something far more dangerous. Kalvin suffered severe toxicity from his chemotherapy medications, and his body began to shut down.
On November 19th, Kalvin was placed on life support. The next day, November 20th, he started dialysis. The treatment that was supposed to help him nearly took his life. As a mother, watching your child reach that level of danger is a pain that words can barely hold.
That crisis marked the beginning of 100‑days, and 99‑nights hospital stay, with half of that time spent in the PICU. I watched my son fight through moments that would break most adults. When he finally stabilized enough to leave intensive care, the battle wasn’t over—he had to relearn basic things that most people take for granted. Kalvin had to endure the pain of learning to walk again. He had to learn how to swallow again. He had to rebuild his strength from nothing, step by step, breath by breath. His determination through that recovery showed me a level of courage I will never forget.
His journey has been made even heavier by the loss of his father in 2018. Losing a parent at such a young age leaves a wound that time doesn’t fully heal. When his father passed, I made a promise—to him, to myself, and to the man I lost—that I would take care of Kalvin no matter what life threw our way. I promised I would stand by him, protect him, and make sure he always had a home to feel safe in. And later, during one of the hardest moments of our lives, I made another promise directly to Kalvin: that no matter how tough things got, we would never be homeless again. I would do whatever it took to keep a roof over our heads and stability under his feet.
Being a single mother through something as overwhelming as cancer has tested every part of me. Between the emotional weight of Kalvin’s diagnosis, the responsibilities of managing his care, and the financial strain that comes with constant medical needs, there were moments when it felt like the world was asking too much at once. Bills don’t pause for cancer, even when your entire life feels like it’s been turned upside down. Trying to keep our home stable while making sure Kalvin had everything he needed was one of the hardest parts of this journey.
Your support didn’t just help us pay rent. It helped me keep the promises I made—to his father, to Kalvin, and to myself. It helped us keep our home steady during a time when everything else felt uncertain. It gave us breathing room when we desperately needed it. It allowed me to focus on Kalvin’s health without the fear of falling behind or losing the stability he depends on. It gave us a moment to exhale in the middle of a storm that felt endless.
Now, as we reach the end of this long and painful journey, I find myself reflecting on how far Kalvin has come and how much support like yours has meant to us. We are finally seeing light after years of darkness, and your kindness is part of the reason we were able to keep going.
What you gave us was more than financial assistance. You gave us peace. You gave us dignity. You gave us the reassurance that we were not fighting this alone. Knowing that there are people and organizations like yours who truly care—who step in with compassion when families like mine are struggling—means more than words can express.
Thank you for seeing Kalvin as the young man he is. Thank you for seeing our family, our struggle, and our strength. Thank you for understanding the hidden battles behind childhood and young‑adult cancer, and for lifting us up when we needed it most. Your kindness helped us out of a jam that could have set us back in a major way, and your compassion will stay with us long after this moment has passed.
With heartfelt gratitude”
UDance 2026
UDance 2026 is less than 2 months away as students strive to raise $2,000,000 this year. Last week, I had the privilege of presenting Andrew and our Foundation to nearly 1,000 new sorority women at UD. Mark your calendars for Sunday April 12th. UDance is a 12 hour dance marathon held at the Bob Carpenter Center. The highlight of the day is in the afternoon (usually 3pm) when I introduce the 40+ B+ Heroes (kids with cancer and their siblings) on stage with their paired fraternity, sorority, sports team, or student group. This event is open to the public. Would love to have you stop by.
Please help us make this year’s B+ 5k the best ever.
Thank you.
Andrew & Ali’s Dad