After a five-year battle with cancer, Justin Lloyd, MCAS ’18 died on Aug. 3 at the age of 23. His friends and family celebrated his life at Dolan Funeral Home on Aug. 10 and a Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Aug. 11.
Lloyd attended Thayer Academy in Braintree, Mass., and served as the captain of its varsity baseball team as a senior in 2012. Union College recruited him to play baseball and he enrolled that fall. In early 2013, however, Lloyd was diagnosed with a rare form of glandular cell cancer, adenocarcinoma, and needed surgery.
To support Lloyd, Union’s baseball team ordered “Lloydstrong” bracelets to sell as a fundraiser and would end their pregame huddles with a “Lloydstrong!” chant. Following his initial surgery, Lloyd attended a tournament in Florida—his mid-game appearance halted the play and elicited the crowd’s applause.
“That kind of put me over the hump after surgery,” Lloyd said to Albany’s Times-Union. “After that week, everything made a turn for the better—my wound started to heal, my back felt better.”
After six months of chemotherapy at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Lloyd was able to return to Union. He appeared in 10 games during the 2014 baseball season before his cancer reappeared.
Lloyd transferred to Boston College in 2015, a move motivated both by location and religion. His move made it easier for him to receive chemotherapy at MGH, but according to Lloydstrong Medical Trust’s GoFundMe page, Lloyd felt that it was important to attend a religious college “that could provide spiritual guidance through [his] difficult journey.” Lloydstrong Medical Trust was established to help families struggling with with medical needs that insurance did not cover.
While Lloyd did not start his college career at BC, he left an impression on many of his professors.
“Justin’s resolve to do well in everything he attempted and to be as responsible as possible never ceased to amaze me,” Geoffrey Sanzenbacher, a research economist at BC’s Center for Retirement Research who had Mr. Lloyd for three classes, said to The Chronicle. “Justin made a point not just to email me that he could not come to class, but to come to my office and tell me exactly what his constraints were, and try to figure out a way to complete his work.”
While battling cancer, Lloyd also worked for Fallon Ambulance, the John Hancock Financial Group, and joined Team IMPACT, where he helped connect children facing serious illness with collegiate athletic programs.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Lloyd’s memory may be made to Lloydstrong Medical Trust, Commonwealth Financial Group, care of Melanie Kelly, Suite 800, 75-101 Federal Street, Boston, Mass. 02110.
Featured Image Courtesy of Legacy.com
