Ontario marathon runner, 78, raising money for granddaughter with Lyme disease

At 78 years old, Richard Nancarrow has crossed dozens of finish lines. But his latest race isn’t about medals or kilometres. It’s about family.

The longtime runner from Ontario is training for a 10K in honour of his granddaughter, Molly Van Heuven, who has been bedridden for more than two years after a sudden battle with late-stage Lyme disease.

Molly, who is 25 years old, had been working as an emergency room nurse at Toronto General Hospital after graduating in 2022. But the following year her health collapsed, leaving her unable to work and fighting a range of debilitating symptoms.

“It’s really important that she knows family is there for her,” Nancarrow said. “That’s why I’m doing this.”

Her family says it took over a year, multiple specialists, and private testing overseas before