Celtics’ Heather Walker fundraising against cancer
C’s VP of Public Relations raising money to support vaccine for Glioblastoma
The Celtics family – massively represented by fellow employees and past and present players – sent Heather Walker a Happy Birthday video last July 28, 18 days after she underwent brain surgery to remove a large cancerous tumor.
Among the tributes and well-wishes was a recollection from Danny Ainge, who recounted his surprise upon spotting the newest member of his media relations team on a motorcycle, cruising down a street in Rome during the Celtics’ 2008 training camp.
“Holy cow, you’re a public relations vice president and you’re riding a motorcycle?”
Kevin Garnett, in a typically long, adjective-laced ramble, told her, “I just want to remind you to keep living, and keep having these experiences, and keep doing whatever you do, and more importantly keep fighting.”
All know Walker for her relentless energy, and her fight to get back that sense of boundless life. In her latest step, the Celtics Vice President of Public Relations will get on a Peleton bike Saturday at Fenway Park and ride for her charity – #Move4Heather – as part of the Pan-Mass Challenge Winter Cycle charity event.
Her team of 10 – including her husband Stephen – are raising money for development of the vaccine she now takes as part of a Glioblastoma research project at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She’s one of 10 patients in Phase 2 of the MIT-based development of a vaccine called Neovax. The vaccine is being developed by Dr. David Reardon – Walker’s neuro-oncologist – and is tailored to the individual biological traits of each patient. Phase 3 would bring
FDA approval, but as Walker knows through her own fundraising efforts, that stage requires time and much more investment.
“We’ve gotta raise a considerable amount of money, and that’s one reason I’m doing the #Move4Heather is to raise the money,” said Walker, whose Move 4 Heather campaign has thus far raised $312,000 – actually more once funds from the Celtics’ Shamrock Foundation are eventually factored in.
And now Walker will take another 30-minute ride on one of the most vital objects in her life at the moment – a Peloton.
“I’m addicted to the Peloton. I love it, not only for the physical exercise but the mental. A lot of the riders are amazing in how they motivate you, all through COVID I did it every single day and loved it,” she said. “I started feeling a little dizzy, and it was, what is this, then I had my diagnosis. It was basically a headache, so I’ve been riding through this whole journey.
“There’s days you feel dizzy, days you don’t feel great, but if you can get up and do something – that’s part of my fund-raiser, #Move4Heather, is if you can do one fun thing every day it motivates you to get through this diagnosis. It feels great. It’s hard. But it’s been an incredible journey.”
Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of cancer with a low survivability rate of anywhere from 12 to 18 months. Walker started with radiation, followed by five-day rounds of chemotherapy in 23-day intervals. She was in the midst of an emotional interview with WCVB’s Maria Stephanopoulos when Stephen broke the news that she had been approved for the vaccine.
Her cancer hasn’t returned since surgery. That’s a starting point.
“I actually feel really good,” she said this week. “I did start my chemo again this week, so I feel a little nauseous, a little chemobrained, but through the process I’ve felt really good. I take it one day at a time.
Movement and working out definitely helps. It is a gamechanger when you work out and exercise.
“It depends on the day. I had the Neovax a week ago, and I had to rest a couple of days. The Neovax doesn’t make you feel great. Then I started to get up and feel better. I do the Peloton like 30 minutes, low impact, then I started doing more Peloton and doing the regular rides instead of low impact. Then I started running a couple of days ago, too, very slowly, but I can do about 30 minutes.”
Above all, though, Walker has an emotional safety net, starting with Stephen and her two young daughters, Samantha and Taylor.
“Support is everything. The support gets me out of bed in the morning,” she said. “If this clinical trial, Neovax, works, I will be able to support so many other people going through Glioblastoma, and that is just amazing.”
Walker has since connected with Glioblastoma patients from across the country. She’s also discovered that her old Celtics associates have actually helped raise awareness.
On the night Garnett’s No. 5 was retired last month, Walker was honored at midcourt in a halftime ceremony as recipient of the team’s Heroes Among Us Award. She was flanked by her family, and swarmed by the old friends who showed up that night.
“Oh my God. You even mentioning it gives me goosebumps, it was so incredible,” she said of KG night. “I think it was just amazing to see those guys. I haven’t seen a lot of those players in a very long time. James Posey, and Eddie House. Of course it’s amazing to see Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, who I’ve seen recently. We’ve always connected. Then Kevin Garnett – he was amazing and had some great words for me.
“He said stay strong. He said you continue your fight and stay strong, and he just gave me a big hug and was so motivating, just really, really nice.”
Walker thought back to another hug from a former Celtic – another close friend – shortly after her surgery.
“Tacko (Fall) calls every once in a while, he checks in on me, he’s been amazing,” she said. “Right after my diagnosis and surgery he showed up with his brother at my house to give me a hug, and tell me that he supports me, and that he’s pulling for me. Just an incredible person.”
Walker has helped give the 7-foot-5 Fall swimming lessons since the day he became a Celtic. Prior to her diagnosis, they had talked of traveling to his hometown in Senegal together, so that he could finally swim at the beach near where he grew up. It’s still a dream, even now.
“I got this diagnosis and we stopped,” she said. “Hopefully we can continue that in the summer. If he wants to get back in the water, we’ll get him in.”