Getting into a World Major Marathon is, in itself, a challenge and there are many roads leading to the start line; one of those roads is through a charity. Though there are bragging rights to say "I qualified" there is also something to be said for supporting a charity as a means toward entry. Finding a charity with which you are sympathetic is one thing but finding one that seems like destiny is quite another. As a pre-mature baby myself (some 50+ years ago!) it seemed somewhat providential when Whitney and I met Amy on the subway after completing the Tokyo Marathon. As we learned, her daughter had been born extremely early and required extensive care at the Mount Sinai neonatal intensive care unit. Fortunate as they were for that care, it did not include family space that would have allowed them to remain close to their baby as they nursed her through those early weeks of her delicate life. The main goal of this charity is to raise funds for the expansion of the NICU at Mount Sinai to provide space for families to stay closer to their babies as they struggle for life. Though care for babies has advanced significantly since I was born, there is still room for improvement and keeping families together during these difficult days can play an important role in the well-being of the mother and the baby (not to mention the father and the rest of the family!). Let’s work together to improve the odds for these babies and help the families stay together during the early days of their baby’s life.
The Mount Sinai Health System relies on community support to help make possible our essential work of outstanding clinical care, innovative research initiatives and more. Thank you in advance for your support of my fundraiser.