I am excited to share with you that I will be running my first Boston Marathon on April 15th, 2019! Many of you know that I've dreamed about running the Boston Marathon for years; I am humbled to have the opportunity to run as part of the Brigham and Women's Stepping Strong Team. Our family has been fortunate to benefit from the amazing doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital over the last year. During this time, we've gotten to know more about the Center for Trauma Innovation that was initiated after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. In 2013, Boston was changed forever when a beautiful Marathon Monday turned into a senseless tragedy. Gillian Reny, then a high school senior, was one of the 39 critically injured patients rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), where doctors and nurses saved her life and both of her legs. In gratitude to BWH, the Reny family established The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation to help other trauma patients like Gillian regain their strength and ability to step strong once again. The Center brings together multidisciplinary experts to transform research, care, and outcomes for civilian and military heroes who suffer from devastating traumatic injuries. Stepping Strong funded initiatives are making a profound difference for trauma patients and their families worldwide. To date, the center has raised more than $14.3 million. But much more needs to be done. Trauma is often referred to as the neglected global epidemic of modern society as it accounts for 43 million hospital visits and an economic burden of $671 billion per year. And every 3 minutes, someone dies from a traumatic injury. When you support a member of the 2019 BWH Stepping Strong Marathon Team, you are helping BWH turn tragedy into hope for civilian and military heroes worldwide who have suffered devastating traumatic injuries. Thank you for supporting this extraordinary group of runners and continuing to honor the Boston Strong spirit that still defines our city today. Learn more about the Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation: https://give.brighamandwomens.org/stories/stepping-strong-homepage/