I am a wife, mother, physician, and a marathoner. I am a native of Kansas City but did my residency training in Boston in the late 1990s. I am running the Abbott World Major Marathons and Boston will be my final race in the six-race series. I wanted to end my Six Star Marathon journey in Boston, because Boston holds many special memories for me. It is a place where I grew tremendously, both personally and professionally. I have great memories of running in Boston along the Charles River Basin and the Emerald Necklace. One unpleasant memory from my time in Boston is the tragic story of Matty Eappen. I remember the trauma that Matty and his family endured at the hands of a caregiver. Like many parents, including me, the Eappens relied on a childcare provider to ensure their children were kept safe while they worked to support their family. Unfortunately, their trust was broken by that caregiver, who violently shook Matty causing irreparable brain damage from which he would not recover.
I feel fortunate that I have a healthy 12-year-old boy who was never abused by his caregivers. He is the light of my life. I want to run in support of the Matty Eappen Foundation to help ensure other families do not have to endure the suffering the Eappen family did. I am hopeful that my efforts at fundraising and increasing awareness of Shaken Baby Syndrome may prevent this from happening to another child. I would be grateful for any donation (no amount is too small) in support of the Matty Eappen Foundation. I look forward to running the Boston Marathon in Matty’s honor and memory.