Erin Leigh Boyle arrived in this world early – a week before her due date to Jack and Ellen Boyle in Longwood, Florida. She was the center of the universe to her parents and her sisters, Leslie and Kelly. Ever since her birth, May 1st, 1989, everyone else has been trying to keep up with her drive and passion to get the most out of every day.
Early in life, she displayed a happy and social disposition as well as a love of music. At age three, she loved singing so much that she joined the Sunshine Generation children’s performance group. Then, she started elementary school, piano lessons, softball, YMCA Indian Princess, and raising a baby chick and hamster. Erin was her school’s Disney Dreamer & Doer and that title fit her indeed. She started a recycling program at her school and at home made her own greeting cards under the brand of “LuMark” (Erin’s family nickname was Lulu or Lu).
Some health issues also surfaced at this time in her life. Frequent ear infections and mouth ulcers progressed into arthritis and asthma with occasional pneumonia. After struggling for five years with various health issues, Erin was finally diagnosed with an auto immune deficiency and became a regular patient at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. She was 11 years old.
Erin grasped the importance of advocating for herself with medical professionals early on. Her goal was an effective patient-doctor relationship, which helped her lead a normal life. And though she was challenged with compromised health and frequent absences, Erin was resilient and insisted on living her life like any ‘normal’ person would. She graduated in the top 10 of her class (total 1,600 seniors) at Lake Brantley High School and suma cum laude from the honors program at the University of Florida. Erin also developed a deep commitment to giving back to the community by serving in various leadership positions on campus and in her sorority, Delta Delta Delta.
During her junior year of college, she was diagnosed with MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome). It was a turning point for Erin – it meant she had bone marrow failure and would eventually require a transplant, with a 50/50 chance of survival. This diagnosis, along with having spent over a decade in various health care venues, as well as her natural affinity for science, gave Erin new purpose: she wanted to pursue health sciences in graduate school. Her research into strong health science programs led her to Georgetown University in the fall of 2011. Her new focus and the vibrant setting at Georgetown University made a magical combination.
And so goes Erin’s story; she was never to be defined by a diagnosis. Instead, she always took it on with fearlessness while staying committed to her ultimate dream – to help improve health care for all Americans, and most especially the underserved. She wasted no time in immersing herself in the School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS) at Georgetown. Erin loved our nation’s capital – Potomac fever some call it. She was at an all-time high with her cherished Health Systems Administration colleagues and instructors at Georgetown University. In May 2013, Erin earned her Master’s degree with honors. Soon after, she was thrilled to go to work for Atlas Research and quickly bonded with her Atlas team as well as her team at Duty First Consulting. Erin worked towards making sure that the health insurance plans that are sold on the Health Exchange meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act and are therefore “certified” for sale. This important role meant that Americans get the high-quality insurance that they deserve. She loved her work and the people she worked with. Erin’s life experience had given her the heart to make sure access to quality health care became a reality.
As Erin pursued her professional goals, she was thrilled that her sister and brother-in-law gave birth to a feisty and beautiful daughter, Molly Jean Sweet. To Erin, Molly was perfect; Erin loved everything about her and the feeling was mutual. Every chance Erin had, she made a point of visiting Tampa to be with Molly.
Suddenly, after some unexplained health issues, Erin was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in August 2014. It was an aggressive cancer due to a rare genetic deficiency which accelerated the growth of the cancerous cells. Erin remained strong and positive; her body had been through a lot and never let her down. After being diagnosed, Erin became a patient at our nation’s top research hospital, the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Erin received unequaled care and love that accompanied three rounds of chemotherapy and two stem cell transplants. She felt empowered by the outpouring of love and support from her beloved coworkers, Georgetown University friends, sorority sisters, high school friends, as well as her cherished doctors and nurses, and of course, her family.
Meanwhile, to Erin’s great delight, she was going to be an aunt again twice in the same month – both sisters were due with babies in late spring, 2015. The pending arrival of her future nephew, Charles Paul Sweet, and niece, Delaney Aine O’Toole, added to Erin’s motivation to keep fighting for another day. To that end, one of the last tasks she performed was writing down birthdays of her loved ones and the due dates of her future niece and nephew.
True to form, Erin took her diagnosis head on and was laser focused on remission and getting back to her beautiful life. She had a great studio in DuPont Circle, and she had colleagues who supported her journey and looked forward to her return to work. And she had another niece and nephew on their way. As she was shaving her head after a few rounds of chemotherapy, not wanting to see any more hair fall out without her say-so, she was also buying furniture to make her studio apartment feel more like a home.
Erin arrived in this world early and left way too early…she went ‘home’ at 1:11 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25th, 2015, at the age of 25. The day before she died, she said she wanted a foundation established to benefit students in the sciences who wanted to help others. Erin’s legacy lives within those special students who, like her, are committed to quality health care for all. Erin’s legacy lives within those patients who live to see another day because Erin dedicated her life and body to medical research. Erin’s legacy lives within those family members and friends who don’t have to know what it feels like to lose a daughter, a sister, an aunt, and a best friend.
In this way, Erin’s story will go on … forever.