I'm so excited to be in my second year running and raising money for an organization that has done so much for so many.  This year is going to be extra special as my ultra distance running sister is going to bring her talents along with me to the North Shore.

For those that don't know the reason why raising money in support of Children's means so much to me..., a heart abnormality was identified in my daughter Abigail's 20 week ultra sound. That discovery sent us on a journey with Children's Hospital that included pre-pregnancy ultra sounds, extra special attention in the NICU, blood pressure test, more blood pressure tests, heart surgery to repair her aortic coarctation, overnights in the PICU, and now an annual cardiac check up that all seem so routine.

I've been lucky to meet some incredible people through Team Superstars and my work on the Children's Council. Every story is more amazing than the next and the thread that ties them all together is the amazing support that they recieved from the incredible team at Children's.  Its why I run and why I am so happy to be able to support something I believe in so deeply.

There is a misconception that hospitals are flush with cash.  The reality is that the specialized care that Children's Hospital can offer is only able to happen because of donors like you.  Thank you for thinking of supporting financially with anything you feel you can.  Every dollar helps.

Thank you.

For those of you that are not familiar with Abigail's story, please feel free to read on...

Before she had a name, she had a diagnosis.  An aortic coarctation.  It's hard to believe that 6 months before Abigail was even born, she had a hospital record, but that's how her story begins. 

It's started as a question in a measurement, a difference in the size of her heart chambers no wider than a piece of paper.  A heart the size of a pen tip.  Weeks went by as she grew. More appointments. Ultrasounds.  More questions than answers. A self imposed freeze on webmd and google searches.  Before we knew it, we had the route to Children's St. Paul memorized and our favorite spot in the red ramp picked out. We got all too comfortable reading echocardio grams and ultra sounds. The gentle whoosh whoosh sounds of her tiny heart the sound track of our visits, reminding us our little girl was still growing strong.

The day Abigail was born, the delivery room was a buzz with activity.  A few anxious moments, but she was doing well.  Her first five days were spent in the NICU.  24 hour 1:1 attention from the best nurses.  Handmade blankets.  Donated books.  Extra cuddles and latenight rocking from amazing volunteers.  With the world spinning around us, that little room was all we knew.  And the group at Children's was incredible.

Fast forward 3 months and we're prepping for Abigail's surgery.  It's time to fix her narrow aorta.  The pre-op appointment was intense, but the team at Children's left no stone unturned. No question unanswered. Even as we sat there dazed, they share the information we'll need to know. Prepare us for what we'll see. Prep us for the first 12 hours post surgery.  

Surgery day was hands down the most difficult day of my life to date. Handing off that little girl. We stepped into full waiting room. The receptionsit offered us an empty axilury room. We mindless watched 2 hours of Cash Cab. It's done. The procedure itself takes 45 seconds. A skillful surgeon and an incredible staff. We head to the PICU. There is our girl. A tiny spec on a full sized hospital bed. A tube in her side and a pump breathing for her.  It's almost too much to process, but the families around us put it in perspective.  The team at the hospital find us a room we can sleep in near our little girl.  We watch other families head home at night or sleep in chairs. We feel lucky, we're only here for days.  

This year marks 8 years since that first appointment. Her annual checkups are more rotutine now. While it's easy to look at her and forget that any of this ever happened, it's important to remember that it did. As difficult as it was for us, our road was easy by comparison. There are many families who get the same news we did every day. The Children's community is there with cutting edge technology, incredible service and thoughtful support. I want to make sure everyone has the same experience we had. It's why we give to Children's and why I'm asking for your support too.