On January 5th, 2025, my wife and I experienced the most profound heartbreak of our lives. Our beautiful daughter, Brooklyn Zoe, was born with congenital heart disease (CHD), a diagnosis we had known about since our 20-week ultrasound. From that moment, we held onto hope—hope that medicine, faith, and love would carry us through. But CHD is relentless, and despite Brooklyn’s incredible strength, we had to say goodbye far too soon.
No parent should ever have to endure this pain. No child should have to fight this battle without better options, better treatments, and ultimately, a cure. That’s why I am running the NYC Marathon—alongside my wife—to honor our daughter’s memory and to fight for the future of other children born with CHD.
We were honored to be selected as two of only ten runners chosen from hundreds of applicants to represent the Children’s Heart Foundation in this race. Every mile we run is for Brooklyn. Every dollar we raise will go toward funding critical research—research that could one day prevent other families from facing this same heartbreak.
CHD is the most common birth defect, yet research remains significantly underfunded. With your support, we can help change that. Your donation—no matter the amount—will make a difference in advancing treatments, improving survival rates, and giving children with CHD a fighting chance.
Brooklyn may not be here physically, but her legacy lives on in every step we take. Please join us in this fight by donating today.
Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and for standing with us in this mission.
With gratitude,
John Kastanis