Families enroll in our Casey Cares programs because they have a child who is critically ill, but our programs serve the whole family.

On Father’s Day, we wanted to spotlight a dad who has been through many challenges with not one but three of his children and has benefitted from our programs.

Casey Cares father Tom Duffy is a dad to Mick, Tommy, who was born with a heart defect, Joey, who has a host of chronic issues, and Sadie, who has a congenital heart defect.

When Joey was going through his bone marrow transplant, the Duffy family was referred to Casey Cares. Through Casey Cares, they have participated in group parties, received a vacation getaway to Great Wolf Lodge, enjoyed NASCAR race tickets and attended batting practice before an Orioles game. They’ve also gone to numerous baseball games as a family and Tom said his kids “have become huge Orioles fans.”

“It’s been fun watching them get into it more and more – they went from playing on the playground to cheering on certain players,” Tom said. “I love teaching them about sports but it’s mostly about making memories. One of my fondest memories was when Joey asked for a hot dog at an Orioles game. He doesn’t normally ask for anything to eat and but he wanted a hot dog and he ate it, just like his brothers. I guess you’ve got to have a hot dog at a baseball game.”

Tom said he’s had a challenging 11 years as a father but he said: “you’ve gotta stay positive.”

Tom said his family ran a lemonade stand last year to raise money for Casey Cares and also participated in the 5K. He was Casey Cares top 5K fundraiser last year. The family plans to do it again this year.

“We love Casey Cares,” Tom said. “When a kid goes into the hospital, it’s not just hard on them, it throws a fork into the whole family unit.  Casey Cares gives us things everyone can look forward to.”

Click here to check out this special Father's Day segment about Tom and his family which was featured on FOX43 in York, Pennsylvania!