Samantha Gasbarro is running Boston for her daughter and ‘children just like her’
"For each birthday we are able to celebrate, I will continue to run, fundraise and give back."
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. If you’re running the marathon, you can share your story here.
Name: Samantha Gasbarro
Age: 35
From: Wakefield
I am running the Boston Marathon this year and wanted to share my “why” and a bit of my story with you.
My name is Samantha and I started running in March of 2021 after having my third child, my son, 13 weeks prematurely the previous October. His older sister was medically complicated (more on that later) and I struggled greatly with post-partum depression after her birth. So I started a couch to 5K program in an attempt to stay on top of my mental health this time around. Naturally, after completing my very first 5K I applied to run the Boston Marathon with the Miles for Miracles team in support of Boston Children’s Hospital.
I ran my first marathon in Boston October of 2021 and ran again in 2022 and 2023 all with Miles for Miracles. I am headed back to Boston again this year devoted to raising as much money as possible for the hospital that saved both my son and his older sister.
My son spent three months in the NICU with a team full of doctors from Boston Children Hospital doing everything they could to save his life, some of which already knew my name because they helped save his older sister’s life.
My second child, Serafina, was born in 2019 with a rare genetic condition known as 22q.11 Deletion Syndrome, causing a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. She had a life saving open heart surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital when she was 2 months old. She is followed by cardiology, immunology, audiology, otolaryngology, genetics and plastics. She returned to the operating room on February 1 of this year for a pharyngeal flap repair due to her VPI. Serafina overcomes every challenge thrown her way with both grace and strength.
For each birthday we are able to celebrate, I will continue to run, fundraise and give back. This year I run Strong4Serafina and all of the children just like her.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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