TEAM CONNOR

PERSEVERANCE. This word epitomizes Connor Boyle.  It embodies the life he lived, how he lived it, and how his spirit lives on in our lives.  In September of 2019, as a Sophomore at Central Bucks East playing football, baseball, hanging out with family, friends and living life, Connor was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma.   It is a rare form of bone cancer that affects less than 20,000 people per year.   Through his courageous battle with Osteosarcoma, Connor endured 12 surgeries, 18 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 radiation treatments, and 103 nights at CHOP.  This placed an immeasurable level of stress, emotion, and heartache on Connor and his family.  Yet Connor took an approach that not many human beings would take given the situation.   He decided he was going to attack this cancer with ferocity, dignity, grace, and grit.  Connor set a goal and he achieved it: to not miss a day of school using the weekends for his chemotherapy treatments.  In May of 2022, Connor earned the 1st Lieutenant Colby J. Umbrell Memorial Bronze Star Scholarship Award.  It is one of the most prestigious awards given out each spring to a deserving student-athlete who exemplifies the core values of Colby.   Connor was the unanimous choice.   A month later in June, Connor walked with his fellow seniors as a graduate of CB East earning a 4.0 GPA during his high school tenure. Connor was accepted into every school he applied and decided he would enroll in the fall of 2022 at Villanova University.  Through all of this, Connor continued to quietly fight this incredible battle.  On August 19th, 2022, after a 2 year and 11-month battle, Connor passed away from us and heaven gained a perseverant angel. Connor’s spirit still burns brightly among us.

One of Connor’s wishes was to raise awareness regarding Osteosarcoma thus generating more funding and research to find a cure.  Help us continue to carry this torch for Connor and all of those impacted by this rare form of cancer.