Why I'm Running

In 2015 my younger daughter and her twin brother were born at Advocate Christ Medical Center.  Just a few weeks before the birth my wife went in for routine monitoring.  During that session our twin boy refused to be still, so the doctors had to perform an ultrasound in order to check on the health of the twins, something that was not planned.  To this day, my wife and I believe that he was looking out for his sister and trying to warn us that something was wrong as the ultrasound ultimately led doctors to identify a congenital heart defect.

The next 3 weeks brought incredible uncertainty.  We were originally scheduled for the birth at Advocate Good Samaritan, but on the advice of the pediatric cardiology team we transferred to Advocate Christ for its proximity to the Children's Hospital and the world class team at the Advocate Children's Heart Institute. 

When the twins were born, the incredible team of doctors and nurses cared for her and informed us every step of the way.  For 12 days, the NICU nurses monitored her day and night, with things ultimately looking like she would be able to delay any surgical intervention until later in childhood.  But when things started to change, the team was not only able to catch the change immediately, but  also book her for surgery the very next day.   Under the care of world class pediatric heart surgeons, she was in and out of surgery and came home less than a week later.  Health care workers and children are both amazing!

Today, my daughter is a thriving 10 year old with a long full life ahead of her. That would not be possible without the care she received from the Advocate team.  I recognize how fortunate my family is to have received such wonderful care, so close to home.

When I ran my first marathon in 2023, I didn't run for a charitable cause.  What I saw on race day was thousands of people making a difference through their participation.  In fact I learned that Chicago Marathon day is the largest single day of giving in the state of Illinois!  That inspired me to not only run again, but to try and make a difference in the process.  In 2024, I ran again, this time for Team Advocate.  That day I not only beat my previous time by over 20 minutes, but the generosity of my friends and family helped to rise over $3,700 for the Advocate Children’s Heart Institute!  It was an amazing journey to both do well and do good.

In 2026 I’ll be proudly running again for Team Advocate striving to help other kids and their families receive the same world class care that my daughter received from the Children's Heart Institute, while also pushing myself harder than I ever have in pursuit of a new personal best.

Your donation of any amount will not only help me achieve my goal, but will also help to benefit the Advocate Children's Heart Institute.