Ryan Murphy Teams Up With Tom Coughlin Jay Fund to Help Families Dealing With Childhood Cancer

Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Ryan Murphy teamed up with the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund to connect with young children suffering from cancer in both Jacksonville and the New York / New Jersey areas. Murphy has teamed up with the fund before, in 2018 when he joined for a round of visits for cancer patients at Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Murphy’s home town.

The organization, according to Jacksonville.com, was established in 1996 in honor of former Boston College safety Jay McGillis, assists with financial, emotional and practical support to help families tackle childhood cancer both in Jacksonville and the New York/New Jersey area, where Tom Coughlin coached the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Giants.

Keli Coughlin, the fund’s executive director and the daughter of the former coach, said the pandemic has increased those families’ needs.

Some parents, she said, have suffered layoffs or furloughs connected to the sharp economic decline, while others have had to leave their jobs to assume the tasks of caregivers. This is the perfect opportunity for the Fund to let families know they are not alone in this battle.

Ryan Murphy teamed up with former Giants linebacker and cancer survivor Mark Herzlich to meet with kids in Jacksonville and New York/New Jersey virtually due to the required social distancing guidelines instituted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

“This lets them know they’re not fighting this alone,” Tom Coughlin said according to Jacksonville.com. “There’s a lot of people rooting for them.”

Murphy, a native of Jacksonville, was training in Berkeley, California for a potential second trip to the Olympic Games where he was aiming to defend his 100 and 200 backstroke gold medals from Rio. The coronavirus has caused the Olympic Games to be pushed back a whole year, but has not stopped the Jay Fund from connecting with young cancer patients.

After the IOC announced their decision, Coughlin reached out to Murphy about connecting with young cancer patients again, to which he did not hesitate.

“He’s a real natural at connecting with people, and the kids loved it,” Keli Coughlin said.

Ryan Murphy talked with one of the young patients about how she’s handling treatment and took time to wish her a happy birthday.

“When all of the quarantine is over, you’re going to have to throw a nice little birthday party,” he said.

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The mission of the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund is to help families tackle childhood cancer by providing comprehensive financial, emotional and practical support. From diagnosis to recovery and beyond, we are part of the team, allowing parents to solely focus on their child’s well being. Our goal is to BE THERE for parents facing the unthinkable so they can be there for their families. The organization has a Tax ID of 59-3426937.

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