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Bill Reilly had special “Willpower” last Saturday as he biked 100 miles around the South Shore to raise money for BWH’s NICU.
Reilly was inspired by his son Will, who spent the first 95 days of his life in the NICU at BWH and Children’s Hospital, fighting to survive after he was born 13 weeks early last December.
“We know he wouldn’t be here today without the care he received,” Bill Reilly said of his only son, who is doing well. “The doctors and nurses never stopped having faith in Will.”
Bill and his wife Alexis Reilly had equal faith in the care teams at both BWH and Children’s Hospital, where Will has undergone three surgeries. In thanks, Bill Reilly, an avid bike rider and four-time Pan Mass Challenge veteran, organized the Pedaling for Preemies bike ride with 12 friends to benefit the NICU. It raised more than $50,000.
“The response was better than anything we could have fathomed,” said Reilly, who plans to make this an annual event to benefit both BWH and Children’s Hospital. “My initial goal was $5,000 to $10,000, but I hit that in the first week of fund-raising.”
Reilly hopes that money will benefit other NICU families going through similar experiences to his.
“It was an incredibly difficult time,” he said. “The nurses knew how to treat parents as well as patients, and it’s something we’ll forever be grateful for.”