Intro to Our Boys

Sam and Danny never met but shared a passion for music, constantly playing guitar and singing by themselves and with friends and family. Diagnosed on the same fateful day- December 8, 2004- but on different continents, they both died of dance in 2007- Sam in June in Somerset, England, and Danny in late October in Santa Barbara, California. Their love of music became a way to express themselves and cope with the challenges that cancer presented.

While these two talented teenagers never met, their parents did! It started with an email to Sam's mother, Jane, sent to Jack Johnson's website to let Jack know how his music was a constant companion to Sam in his final days. Her message was forwarded to Danny's parents and a correspondence between the families about their sons began. In June 2015, Jane and Kevin McDonald visited Danny's parents for a few days. Many emotions were shared over those days, but the main theme was the love of their sons and the gifts that they were and will always be. On the last evening of their stay, Jane read a reflection she had written over the course of several months prior to their visit entitled "Our Boys."

Click above to read Jane's poem "Our Boys".