Each year, The Genesis Foundation for Children presents the Latham Award to a remarkable patient who exemplifies strength, perseverance, and the spirit of hope in the face of medical challenges.
The award is named in memory of Michael Latham, a beloved patient of our late President and Founder, Dr. Murray Feingold. After Michael passed away in 2005, his family asked that his legacy live on through an annual award honoring another child who shares some of his most special qualities: confidence, kindness, courage, optimism, humor, and, most significantly, unwavering resilience in the face of adversity. Since The Genesis Foundation’s “On The Field at Fenway Park” event was one of Michael’s favorite memories, the Latham Award is presented each year in his name at Fenway Park, where the recipient is even joined on the field by Michael’s parents for the award presentation.
This year’s recipient—19-year-old Carlos Murphy—embodies everything the Latham Award stands for. This is his story.
Carlos became a patient at Mass General for Children when he was just five years old. He had been referred to Dr. David Sweetser because he was slow to reach developmental milestones and had a few minor medical concerns. When Dr. Sweetser met Carlos, what stood out most was “his remarkably big head.” This is often a hallmark of a genetic condition caused by a change in the PTEN gene, which can lead to larger head size, developmental delays, and, in some cases, a higher risk of certain cancers. And it was indeed a PTEN-related disorder that Carlos would later be diagnosed with.
From that first visit, Dr. Sweetser began seeing Carlos every six to twelve months. He was doing well in school with the help of therapy and special support, but what truly made Carlos unforgettable was his spirit. He was incredibly warm, friendly, and beloved by classmates and caregivers alike. Dr. Sweetser says in his remarks about Carlos, “He quickly became one of my favorite patients. In a clinic where the days can be long and busy, I looked forward to the days I would get to see Carlos.”
Another thing that makes Carlos special is his gift for music. He played both the clarinet and saxophone in the school band, and he also loved basketball. He worked incredibly hard, and everyone could always count on him . But during his junior year of high school, something changed. What seemed at first like a typical basketball injury—some swelling in his knee—grew worse. The swelling spread to his thigh, and he was soon diagnosed with a rapidly growing vascular tumor.
Carlos—whom Dr. Sweetser describes as having “the highest pain tolerance of anyone I’ve ever met”—began to experience intense pain and difficulty walking. He underwent a series of painful procedures—sclerosis and embolization—to cut off the blood supply to the tumor. These interventions would bring many to their knees, according to Dr. Sweetser, yet Carlos faced them with quiet courage and determination. Slowly but surely, the tumors came under control, and more recently, targeted medication has continued to shrink what remains, offering real hope for long-term control.
When Dr. Sweetser was asked to nominate someone for the Latham Award, Carlos was the first person who came to mind. He said, “Carlos is one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. He has faced more than his fair share of challenges, yet through it all, he has remained positive, determined, and full of heart. He reminds all of us what strength looks like—not just in overcoming adversity, but in the grace and optimism with which one meets it.”
When accepting his award, Carlos—who proudly proclaimed himself “a big football fan”—made a memorable analogy between sports and his medical journey at Mass General. He began, “I want to take a moment to say a big, big THANK YOU to my amazing doctor, Dr. Sweetser, who has been like the head coach of the best football team ever—Team Carlos.” He continued, “When I first started my journey at five years old, I didn’t know all the plays or the rules, but my coach, Dr. Sweetser, was right there, coordinating my care to make sure I was seen by the doctors I needed to see and put all the pieces together to write the best playbook.”
Carlos knows that a great team doesn’t just have a great head coach. He went on to thank all the other valuable doctors on his team: “Thank you to the Defensive Coach, Dr. Wiltsie, who found a medicine to shrink my tumors and make me feel like playing. Dr. Rabinov on special teams for limiting the blood supply to my tumors, and all the offensive coordinators who have worked together to keep me in the game.” In total, Carlos has been seen by at least 15 different doctors—his offensive coordinators—each of whom worked together to keep him in the fight. “Sometimes the game was tough. There were hard moments, and I felt tired. But the coaches always had a plan—adjusting the game, keeping me in the fight, and reminding me that Team Carlos would win.”
Thanks to Carlos’s incredible coach and the entire team, he’s here today—standing strong, ready to keep playing and living his best life. He closed his speech with a message that brought cheers and smiles all around: “So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for working together, for believing in me, and for making sure that no matter how hard the game gets, I’ll always have the best team by my side. Let’s keep winning together!”
Congratulations to Carlos, our 2025 Latham Award Recipient!
If you would like to make a donation to The Genesis Foundation in honor of Carlos and his family, you can do so by clicking here.
Pictured (from left to right): Genesis Foundation President, Matthew Hoffman; Michael Latham’s Parents, Jim and Barbara Latham; Award Recipient, Carlos Murphy; Carlos’s Mother, Karen Murphy; Dr. David Sweetser.