Bo was a wonderful son, loving husband, and devoted father of three children Jenna (11), Ellie (7), and Robbie (6), when in November of 2004 he was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. Within 10 days of the original diagnosis Bo underwent major abdominal surgery to remove a large mass and the lower segment of his colon. At that time it was discovered that the cancer had spread to his liver and lungs. He recovered well from this surgery and began chemotherapy in January 2005. Throughout the entire course of his treatment Bo continued to live life the way he always had, maybe even more.

From the time he was diagnosed his response was “it is what it is” and he made a conscience decision not to allow cancer to control his life but to continue to truly live and enjoy everyone and everything around him. He rarely missed a day of work, only missing to go to MGH for his treatments. During the summer he coached basketball for Jenna and Robbie's teams, in the winter he coached Jenna's basketball team, and in the spring he coached Ellie's softball team. He looked forward to attending every one of his kids school and sporting events, it didn't matter if it was a practice or a game and sometimes even went to watch their friends play. If the side effects of chemotherapy were getting to him he would say “it's tolerable”, but missing an event was not an option.

In July 2007 Bo was diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer in his colon and a new tumor in his brain, again his response was “it is what it is”. He began daily radiation treatments and continued working in the morning and attending the kid's activities in the evening, again pushing through all of the side effects. Family, Cape Cod , faith, work, BC sporting events, and the kid's events were the best distraction for Bo during this time.

By September 30 th the effects of the cancer became too much for Bo's body to continue to fight off and for the first time he was unable to leave the house. On October 14, 2007 Bo died as a result of complications from colon cancer.

To many who knew him, Bo was an inspiration. He was a man who continued enjoying life without letting cancer get in the way. Many didn't even know that he had cancer or that he had been going through treatment.

Our hope is that this fund will continue to be a living, giving tribute to Bo and that it will provide ongoing support for colon cancer research/education through the Mass General Hospital GI Cancer Center . We will also be providing support for various organizations within the Chelmsford community that were important to Bo and continue to be important to the Farrell family.