INTRODUCES US TO GAVIN FOR WE LEARNED ABOUT AS QUICKLY THAT GAVIN FORD DOES NOT LIVE IN ORDINARY LIFE. AS WE LEARNED THAT GAVIN FORD IS AN EXTRAORDINARY KID. I’M LIKE ANYBODY ELSE. I DON’T WANT YOU TO TREAT ME DIFFERENTLY. HE WAS THE FIRST KID TO PLAY IN THE LITTLE LEAGUE MAJORS IN A WHEELCHAIR IN HIS HOMETOWN OF NORTH REDDING. FUNNY STORY, ACTUALLY. MY FIRST AT BAT. FIRST PITCH, I GOT HIT RIGHT IN THE NECK. JUST THE FASTBALL RIGHT TO THE NECK. AND I WAS KIND OF A WELCOME. YOU’RE HERE. IT’S AMAZING THAT HE’S HERE. BORN WITH SPINA BIFIDA, A NEURAL DEFECT OF THE SPINE. HE USES EVERY OUNCE OF ENERGY TO DO ALL THE THINGS HE LOVES TO DO THROUGH ADAPTIVE BASKETBALL IN LACROSSE, SURFING AND BASEBALL, AND HIS FAVORITE SLED HOCKEY. GAVIN IS A 15 YEAR OLD ATHLETE IN SPITE OF YEARS OF SURGERIES AND MONTHS SPENT AWAY FROM RINKS IN COURTS. AND IN 2020, TWO OUT OF 365 DAYS OF THE YEAR, GAVIN WAS BEDBOUND FOR 192 OF THEM. STILL, HE HOPES ONE DAY TO MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE PARALYMPICS. BUT HIS GOALS DON’T END THERE. I LEARNED ENGINEERING ALL THIS YEAR. I WANT TO BE AN ARCHITECT. THAT’S MY DREAM JOB. NOT EVERY BUILDING IS ACCESSIBLE, SO I DON’T REALLY WANT THAT TO BE A STRUGGLE FOR ANYBODY BECAUSE I KNOW I HAVE TO STRUGGLE WITH THAT. HE’S AMAZING, BUT WHAT I REALLY RESPECT IS HIS WILLINGNESS TO SHARE HIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS. SO WHY DO WE DECIDE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO GAVIN FORD TODAY? BECAUSE KIDS LIKE GAVIN ARE NOT JUST HERE TO INSPIRE OTHER KIDS LIKE GAVIN. THEY’RE HERE TO SHOW THE REST OF THE WORLD HOW TO LIVE IN NORTH ANDOVER JOSH BROGADIR WHY WCVB SPORTSCENTER 5? WELL PUT.

15-year-old para-athlete in Massachusetts inspiring others with his ability

Updated: 5:46 AM EDT Jun 21, 2023

Gavin Ford insists on not being treated any differently, despite the extraordinary para-athlete living a life that is anything but ordinary.Ford was the first kid in his hometown of North Reading, Massachusetts, to play in the Little League majors division while in a wheelchair."Funny story, actually. My first at bat, first pitch, I got hit right in the neck. Just a fastball right to the neck and I was kind of like: 'Welcome, you're here,'" Ford said while smiling and chuckling.Born with spina bifida, a neurological birth defect in which an area of the spinal column doesn't form properly, Gavin uses every ounce of energy in order to do all of the things he loves to do. He is able to participate in a number of sports from adaptive basketball and lacrosse to surfing and baseball, and his favorite, sled ice hockey. That is all despite years of surgeries and months away from fields, rinks, courts and the ocean."In 2022, out of 365 days of the year, Gavin was bed-bound for 192 of them," said Jen Ford, Gavin's mother.Gavin hopes one day to participate in the Paralympics, but he also has an even more altruistic goal."I learned engineering all this year. I want to be an architect. That's my dream job," Gavin said. "Not every building is accessible, so I don't really want that to be a struggle for anybody because I know I have to struggle with that.""He's amazing, but what I really respect is his willingness to share his opportunity for the benefit of others," Jen Ford said.

Gavin Ford insists on not being treated any differently, despite the extraordinary para-athlete living a life that is anything but ordinary.

Ford was the first kid in his hometown of North Reading, Massachusetts, to play in the Little League majors division while in a wheelchair.

"Funny story, actually. My first at bat, first pitch, I got hit right in the neck. Just a fastball right to the neck and I was kind of like: 'Welcome, you're here,'" Ford said while smiling and chuckling.

Born with spina bifida, a neurological birth defect in which an area of the spinal column doesn't form properly, Gavin uses every ounce of energy in order to do all of the things he loves to do. He is able to participate in a number of sports from adaptive basketball and lacrosse to surfing and baseball, and his favorite, sled ice hockey. That is all despite years of surgeries and months away from fields, rinks, courts and the ocean.

"In 2022, out of 365 days of the year, Gavin was bed-bound for 192 of them," said Jen Ford, Gavin's mother.

Gavin hopes one day to participate in the Paralympics, but he also has an even more altruistic goal.

"I learned engineering all this year. I want to be an architect. That's my dream job," Gavin said. "Not every building is accessible, so I don't really want that to be a struggle for anybody because I know I have to struggle with that."

"He's amazing, but what I really respect is his willingness to share his opportunity for the benefit of others," Jen Ford said.

Management of a thrift store in a Boston neighborhood says a large hazmat response at one of its locations was the result of someone unknowingly donating an antique container for radioactive material.A representative of Fenway Health, which owns and operates Boomerangs thrift stores, and the manager of the store location said a donation was this made to the store this week that included a small lead container with a screw top. An employee of the Boomerangs store in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood eventually recognized the item as a "lead pig," which was used to transport radioactive materials and shield people from radiation.The discovery prompted Boston Emergency Medical Services personnel and hazmat teams to respond to the store.Investigators found the "lead pig" did at some point hold a type of radioactive material that is often found as a powdery substance. Inspectors determined the container had a very low level of Type A radiation, which should not be a concern for staff or patrons. A full inspection of the store was conducted and it was found to be safe. The "lead pig" was removed by the proper authorities for further investigation.As a precaution, three Boomerangs employees who directly handled the "lead pig" without gloves were transported to Boston Medical Center for an evaluation and further testing. All three employees were released from the hospital Thursday night and are doing fine, according to management.Dee Moore, the manager of the store, further reiterated in a Facebook post that everyone who was in the store Wednesday and Thursday should not be worried about radiation exposure."This was a first for many folks involved, and given the level of risk and unusual circumstances, the utmost precautions and care were taken to ensure that the item was removed safely and that there was no potential spread of the contamination," Moore wrote. "We're grateful to the teams of people who helped us!"Bob Johnson, the director of safety, security and facilities for Fenway Health, said in a statement that the Boston Police Department does not deem the donation of the "lead pig" as a criminal act. But until the police investigation is complete, Johnson said the company will remain on high alert for the store in Jamaica Plain to keep the store and employees safe."(Fenway Health) Safety and Security will conduct a full review of this situation and review the process of receiving donations," Johnson stated. "This appears to be someone with good intent to make a donation who didn't realize what this item may have been."The store was closed Friday due to the emotional impact on the shop's staff, but it reopened on Saturday.Boomerangs has other locations.

The husband of a Massachusetts woman who has not been seen since early in the morning on New Year's Day is in custody.Brian Walshe, 46, was arrested on a charge of misleading a police investigation in connection with the disappearance of his 39-year-old wife, Ana Walshe, according to the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office.Sister station WCVB'S cameras were there as Brian Walshe was taken into custody and led into the Cohasset Police Department in handcuffs. Cameras also captured video of Walshe's gray Volvo XC90 being put into the police station garage. Ana Walshe was last seen by a family member in her Cohasset home between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Jan. 1, according to Cohasset police Chief William Quigley. Quigley also said Walshe's cellphone, as well as her credit and debit cards, have been inactive since New Year's Day.She was reported missing on Wednesday, simultaneously by Brian Walshe and her employer, Washington, D.C.-based real estate company Tishman Speyer.The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office has since taken the lead on the missing person investigation after Cohasset police, the Massachusetts Special Emergency Response Team, Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council and other agencies searched around the Walshe family's home off of the Chief Justice Cushing Highway (Route 3A) from Friday through Sunday.Multiple marked and unmarked police cruisers arrived at the Walshes' home at about 9 a.m. on Sunday, less than 16 hours after Massachusetts State Police and Cohasset Police Department officials said the ground search would not resume unless they developed new information that would warrant a renewed search.Sources told sister station WCVB's Ted Wayman that investigators arrived at the Walshe family's home with a search warrant on Sunday. Detectives were seen wearing protective layers on their shoes as they searched in and around the house.Video showed that the search appeared to extend to sheds near the home, areas where police had not focused on during earlier searches. "Police developed probable cause to believe that (Ana Walshe's) husband, Brian Walshe, had committed the crime of misleading police investigators," reads a statement from the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office.Sister station WCVB 5's Brianna Borghi saw young children being led out of the house Sunday morning. Ana and Brian Walshe have three young boys together between the ages of 2 and 6. Borghi also saw a red truck pull up to the home earlier Sunday morning and drop off an older woman, who spoke with an investigator for a few minutes. That same woman later appeared to leave the home with the children in a different vehicle. Borghi then saw a man leave the home in a separate vehicle shortly thereafter.Brian Walshe is expected to be arraigned Monday morning in Quincy District Court, and the DA's Office said additional facts may or may not be entered into the record at that time.Circumstances of Ana Walshe's disappearanceA family member told police Ana Walshe was supposed to take a ride-share to Boston Logan International Airport in an attempt to catch an early morning flight to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 1."It's been said that she was called to D.C. to handle some type of emergency at one of the properties that she manages. That's why she was attempting to go to D.C. (on New Year's Day)," Quigley said.Quigley added, however, that Cohasset police had been in contact with rideshare companies and have so far been unable to confirm that she got into a rideshare vehicle outside her home. The police chief also said he was able to confirm with all airlines that Walshe did not board a flight this week. Quigley said officers from the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C. searched the Walshe family's Washington townhouse but found no sign of Ana Walshe there. A spokesperson for the Cohasset Police Department said Cohasset and state police detectives arrived in Washington early Saturday morning as part of the investigation. On Sunday, the Norfolk District Attorney's Office said those investigators were returning from D.C., where they sought any possible evidence or information concerning Ana Walshe's potential whereabouts.Friends said Ana Walshe commutes to Washington during the week to work for Tishman Speyer, a job she started last year. She is active on social media, but friends say those accounts went silent on New Year's Day when she was due to catch a flight."She's a loving and loyal wife and mother of three beautiful boys," Alissa Kirby, a friend, said. "She loves her family, and I know in my heart that of her choice, she would not go a day without speaking to her husband and her kids." On Friday, the Massachusetts State Police Special Emergency Response Team and a regional police team spent much of the day searching the area near the Walshe family's home in Cohasset. The search was called off for the night after an area of approximately one square mile was covered.Authorities said 20 troopers from the MSP Special Emergency Response Team, a specialized unit trained in search and rescue operations, as well as three K9 teams, Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council officers and the State Police Air Wing Unit, once again searched wooded areas near Walshe's home with negative results on Saturday. State police divers also searched a small stream and an in-ground pool on the property with negative results, according to authorities. Police said Ana Walshe is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds. She has brown hair, brown eyes and an olive complexion and speaks with an eastern European accent.Anyone with information about Ana Walshe's whereabouts is asked to contact Det. Harrison Schmidt at 781-383-1055 extension 6108 or email hschmidt@cohassetpolice.com. Watch the video above for the full story.

More than 15 years after a Massachusetts mother was reported missing, a man was arrested in connection with her death, police said. Felicia McGuyer was last seen on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, in the area of Roxton Street in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. She was 32 years old when she disappeared, leaving behind her 10-year-old son.Boston police said David Pena, 33, is currently being held in Macclenny, Florida, a small city west of Jacksonville. Police said at the time of Pena's arrest, he was wanted on an outstanding warrant sought out of Dorchester District Court on a murder charge stemming from the death of McGuyer.It was previously reported that a search in 2017 that involved the FBI in a wooded area of West Roxbury was connected to McGuyer's disappearance. Felicia McGuyer was last seen on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, in the area of Roxton Street in Dorchester.On Saturday, members of the Boston Police Fugitive Unit arrived at the Baker County Detention Center in Florida for the rendition of Pena.Pena was transported over the weekend from Florida to Boston and is scheduled to appear in Dorchester District Court for arraignment on his charges.Police said Pena was also wanted on an outstanding warrant sought out of Suffolk Superior Court on charges of trafficking cocaine.From sister station WCVB's archives: FBI joins search for missing mom:

More than 15 years after a Massachusetts mother was reported missing, a man was arrested in connection with her death, police said.

Felicia McGuyer was last seen on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, in the area of Roxton Street in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. She was 32 years old when she disappeared, leaving behind her 10-year-old son.

Boston police said David Pena, 33, is currently being held in Macclenny, Florida, a small city west of Jacksonville.

Police said at the time of Pena's arrest, he was wanted on an outstanding warrant sought out of Dorchester District Court on a murder charge stemming from the death of McGuyer.

It was previously reported that a search in 2017 that involved the FBI in a wooded area of West Roxbury was connected to McGuyer's disappearance.

Felicia McGuyer was last seen on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, in the area of Roxton Street in Dorchester.

On Saturday, members of the Boston Police Fugitive Unit arrived at the Baker County Detention Center in Florida for the rendition of Pena.

Pena was transported over the weekend from Florida to Boston and is scheduled to appear in Dorchester District Court for arraignment on his charges.

Police said Pena was also wanted on an outstanding warrant sought out of Suffolk Superior Court on charges of trafficking cocaine.

From sister station WCVB's archives: FBI joins search for missing mom:

A medical device company in Massachusetts has both saved and changed a young man's life over the last several years.Four years ago, Adam Millar was 19 years old and pursuing a hockey career in his home state of Colorado when he suddenly came down with what he thought were flu symptoms, but his heart had actually lapsed into atrial fibrillation, which quickly turned into cardiogenic shock."I was an active person and then three days later, I was bedridden and on life support," Millar said.Millar nearly died, but two Impella heart pumps, the world's smallest heart pumps designed and manufactured by Danvers-based Abiomed, saved his life."It's crazy," he said. "Just kind of the simple idea of allowing your heart to rest and recover, and let these pumps pump blood throughout your body while it can relax and recover. And then three days later, your heart is fully back to functioning."After recovering from his heart attack, Millar flew to Danvers and began an internship at Abiomed. That is where he met Casey Mucci, who began working in the company's human resources department just six months earlier."His story was very well-known around the office and when he was coming on board, everyone was like: 'Adam Millar is coming!' and I was like: 'Who's this Adam Millar guy?'" Mucci said.It turns out that Mucci accepted Millar's proposal when he asked her to marry him a few months ago, and that the company that made the device that saved his heart brought their two hearts together."I'm very, very grateful that I had the opportunity to join this company," Mucci said. "Obviously, it led me to Adam and our future, and I'm very grateful."Millar, now a senior student at Northeastern University living in Malden, said he lives every day with passion, purpose and gratitude, even about his close call with death."I mean, it saved my life, brought me to my future wife and gave me a passion for a career," Millar said.When Millar graduates from Northeastern in May, he plans to use his mechanical engineering degree to develop the kind of cardiovascular medical devices that saved his life.

BOSTON —

A medical device company in Massachusetts has both saved and changed a young man's life over the last several years.

Four years ago, Adam Millar was 19 years old and pursuing a hockey career in his home state of Colorado when he suddenly came down with what he thought were flu symptoms, but his heart had actually lapsed into atrial fibrillation, which quickly turned into cardiogenic shock.

"I was an active person and then three days later, I was bedridden and on life support," Millar said.

Millar nearly died, but two Impella heart pumps, the world's smallest heart pumps designed and manufactured by Danvers-based Abiomed, saved his life.

"It's crazy," he said. "Just kind of the simple idea of allowing your heart to rest and recover, and let these pumps pump blood throughout your body while it can relax and recover. And then three days later, your heart is fully back to functioning."

After recovering from his heart attack, Millar flew to Danvers and began an internship at Abiomed. That is where he met Casey Mucci, who began working in the company's human resources department just six months earlier.

"His story was very well-known around the office and when he was coming on board, everyone was like: 'Adam Millar is coming!' and I was like: 'Who's this Adam Millar guy?'" Mucci said.

It turns out that Mucci accepted Millar's proposal when he asked her to marry him a few months ago, and that the company that made the device that saved his heart brought their two hearts together.

Adam Millar/Casey Mucci

"I'm very, very grateful that I had the opportunity to join this company," Mucci said. "Obviously, it led me to Adam and our future, and I'm very grateful."

Millar, now a senior student at Northeastern University living in Malden, said he lives every day with passion, purpose and gratitude, even about his close call with death.

"I mean, it saved my life, brought me to my future wife and gave me a passion for a career," Millar said.

When Millar graduates from Northeastern in May, he plans to use his mechanical engineering degree to develop the kind of cardiovascular medical devices that saved his life.