Quin Murphy passed away of intussusception in January 2010 at the age of 16.
His unexpected death was a big blow to his family. They had many unanswered questions.
“Why was it able to get to a point where a 16-year-old boy could die of a treatable illness?” said Brian Murphy, Quin’s father. “If doctors would have diagnosed him properly would Quin be alive today?”
Intussusception is a disorder in which part of the intestine slides and creates a digestive blockage.
While these questions remain, his family is doing what they can to make sure Quin’s legacy will be remembered.
Five years since Quin’s death, he is making a difference in the lives of high school seniors in the Sweetwater Union High School District and throughout the county by affording them the opportunity to attend college.
In a way it is the college experience Quin — who was a high school junior when he died — obviously never had.
The Quin Murphy Scholarship Fund started about a week after his death, when his aunt Maria had a birthday party, but instead of asking for gifts, she sought monetary donations to be able to give scholarships in Quin’s name to two students at Hilltop High School — the school Quin had attended.
“We just gathered some money as a family,” said his aunt Susie Murphy, who is the fundraising chairperson for the foundation.
That first year $1,000 was raised for two scholarships. The donations mostly came from family and friends.
They carried on the tradition and in 2012 the Quin Murphy Foundation received full nonprofit status.
Quin’s family holds a fundraiser every year in June to coincide with Quin’s birthday.
The money raised from a dinner and silent auction funds the scholarships.
This year, the foundation has received private donations from community partners and private donors.
Scholarship recipients have attended universities in San Diego and Berkeley.
The amount collected in fundraising and the numbers of scholarships have grown every year since 2010.
“It just started to evolve, where it became we’re going to honor Quin’s memory and that legacy through giving scholarships and helping the community,” Brian Murphy said.
“It is touching the lives of many people in our community.”
Since its inception, the foundation has given out about 60 scholarships.
In 2014 the foundation raised close to $22,000, Susie Murphy said. And this year they are expecting to surpass that amount.
Giving scholarships to students isn’t the only way the foundation gives back to the community.
They also do community service around the South Bay such as a campus clean-up at several local schools and will participate this year in a beach clean-up.
“It’s just another part of helping the community,” Brian Murphy said. “We’re just trying to create something positive and good for our area and for our students in the South Bay.”
In September 2009, Brian said Quin had complained about frequent stomach pain that lasted about four months.
Brian Murphy said he took his son to a local hospital and doctor couldn’t figure out a diagnosis.
So Brian took his son to another hospital where he was diagnosed with intussusception. That hospital sent Quin back to his original doctor with the diagnosis and the doctor thought taking out his appendix would cure Quin.
It didn’t.
As the illness progressed, it affected Quin’s everyday living. He couldn’t get up in the mornings to attend classes. He would miss soccer practice. He would lay in bed suffering.
Doctors continued to tell Brian Murphy that Quin was well, and suggested that his stomach pain and other symptoms were psychosomatic.
Brian Murphy said in Quin’s medical records, a doctor recommended that Quin go see a psychiatrist.
Brian Murphy said he saw Quin drop significant weight, so he knew whatever was happening to Quin wasn’t psychological.
Quin’s mother Roberta also refused to believe her son had mental issues.
“We go as patients to our medical provider so that they can take care of us and make sure that we get the proper health care and that did not happen,” Brian said.
“The fact that they had a diagnosis and the fact that they were well aware of it and still dismissed it and used a psychological excuse to create this issue, made it that much harder to deal with.”
A Quin Murphy scholarship is open to any student but they give weight to those students who want to study in the medical field.
“We’ve had several high school students who have applied and received a Quin Murphy scholarship who are in some way going into the medical field,” Brian Murphy said.
“Because it was a big part of what happened with my son dying and because it was how he died due to the medical mishap, it’s our way of maybe trying to address and improve and in some way help this possible problem of people and patients not getting their health needs addressed.”
Any student with a minimum 2.0 grade point average who shows improvement qualifies for the scholarship.
While the foundation has helped students pay for books, it’s helped Brian Murphy with closure.
“I think it has definitely helped me,” he said. “When I see this legacy growing, it definitely helps me continue (living life).”
Deadline to apply for a Quin Murphy scholarship is April 30.
Apply at www.Quinmurphy.com.
