FRANKLIN, Mass. (WLNE) — With the Boston Marathon just a month away, runners intensify their preparations. For one young athlete from Franklin, the race is about much more: it’s a chance to honor a loved one through every stride. “I sustained a spinal cord injury which left me paralyzed fro m the chest down at a work accident,” Franklin resident Chad Larivee, father of Liam Larivee, said. Chad got hurt on a work site job about ten years ago, and his son aims to raise money for the rehab center that helped his father. Chad served 18 years as a firefighter in Taunton and was on a job helping a fellow firefighter on the day of his accident. “The ladder went one way and I went the other and that was it,” he explained. After being treated at Rhode Island Hospital for about two months after the accident, Chad was moved to the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Charlestown. His journey in his new life as a quadriplegic inspired the rest of the family. “Each one of my children which I have three have all kind of taken a huge interest in my rehab and participated in my new life as we call it,” he said. With that inspiration, Chad’s son is set to run his first Boston Marathon this year. All of the money he raised goes to the Spaulding Rehab Center. “At such a young age, I definitely have so many flash back memories of all the support and care from doctors, nurses, all the physical therapists provided to me and my family at the time, but especially to my father,” Liam said. The two hope to run together in the Boston Marathon next year, where Liam would push his father for all 26.2 miles. He previously pushed him in a half marathon in Boston’s Run to Remember race. “I felt that running for such a great cause would definitely make it more worth it to motivate me through the entire process of months and months of training,” Liam said. Liam has already raised well over his goal of $7,500 but donations can be made here. Categories: Massachusetts, News ...read more read less