Last year, Chris, Ben, Cole and I walked 17 miles through New York City in honor of Sydney and to raise awareness and funds for Smith-Magenis Syndrome.

We chose 17 miles for a reason. SMS is a rare genetic disorder most commonly caused by a deletion on chromosome 17.

Last year we walked all over Manhattan, explored parts of the city we had never seen, laughed a lot, got very tired and had such a great time doing it together that we decided to do it again.

This September, Team Strength for Sydney will once again walk 17 miles through NYC as part of the Steps Move Science 2026 Virtual Walk benefiting the Smith-Magenis Syndrome Research Foundation.

For us, this walk is obviously very personal. Sydney is the reason we became involved in SMS research and the reason we started the SMS Research Foundation more than 15 years ago. But the work we do today is about Sydney and every person and family living with SMS.

The SMS Research Foundation is dedicated to advancing research that can lead to better treatments and ultimately improve the lives of people with SMS. This year is especially exciting because we have launched our 5-Year Research Roadmap, a plan to accelerate promising research, strengthen clinical trial readiness and move us closer to our ultimate goal of a first disease-modifying clinical trial for SMS.

There is more promising SMS research happening today than ever before, but moving that research forward requires funding.

So once again, the four of us will put on our sneakers and walk 17 miles through NYC for Sydney, for everyone living with SMS and for the future we hope is possible.

Please consider supporting Team Strength for Sydney and the work of the SMS Research Foundation. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us continue to move SMS research forward.

17 miles. Chromosome 17. One very important reason.