Boylston Street: Where Gratitude Meets the Finish Line. Running My 6th Boston Marathon!! 

In 2026, I will toe the starting line of the Boston Marathon for the sixth time — and for the fifth time running in support of Boston Children’s Hospital. My most recent Boston Marathon was in 2023, and even after all these years, the pull to return never fades. Some connections stay with you for life. For me, that connection is Boston Children’s Hospital.

Twenty-one years ago, Boston Children’s became part of our family story forever. In December 2004, my wife Karen and I went in for what we believed would be a routine ultrasound for our first child. Like every expectant parent, we hoped only to hear that everything looked fine. Instead, we were told there was a concern with the development of our baby’s heart and that we would need further testing at Boston Children’s. The next day, we met Dr. Wayne Tworetzky, a pediatric cardiologist who calmly and compassionately explained the diagnosis: our daughter would be born with Transposition of the Great Arteries — a congenital heart defect once known as “Blue Baby Syndrome.” Years ago, there were no treatment options and no chance of survival. But because of advances in modern medicine at Boston Children’s, he told us something that changed everything — they would send us home with a healthy baby. On April 2, 2005, our daughter Kate Elizabeth was born. Six days later, Dr. Frank Pigula performed a six-hour arterial switch surgery that saved her life. Those hours felt endless. The fear was overwhelming — but so was the faith. The hospital kept us informed throughout the procedure and somehow managed to give us confidence in the most difficult moments we could imagine. When Kate came out of surgery, she was perfect. Just weeks later, we brought her home — exactly as we had been promised.

Today, Kate is thriving. She has no limitations and no restrictions. She is currently a junior at Providence College, where she continues to excel academically and athletically, carrying the same determination she showed from her very first days. By the time of the 2026 Boston Marathon, she will be a young adult — strong, driven, and fearless. She is a scholar, an athlete, and a competitor in every sense of the word. Anyone who has coached or played against her will tell you the same thing: she’s relentless. We truly believe the fight she showed in her first days of life shaped the way she lives it today.

One of the most meaningful reminders of Boston Children’s impact comes full circle through Kate’s closest circle. Because of the care she received — and the life she has been able to live — one of her best friends and one of her roommates at Providence, Lauren Buxton, will run the Boston Marathon for Children's in Kate’s honor as well. It’s proof that what happens inside those hospital walls doesn’t stop with one patient or one family — it ripples outward in ways we could never have imagined. Two runners. One reason. One hospital that made it all possible!

So if all goes according to plan, when I turn onto Boylston Street in 2026, I’ll be running toward my daughter — now 21 — hopefully enjoying a very legal cocktail as she cheers me home. That image alone is worth every mile.

Twenty-one years ago, Boston Children’s gave me this moment. If you’re reading this, thank you. Truly. Your support helps ensure that families facing their darkest days can receive world-class care regardless of their circumstances. We were fortunate. Every family deserves the same chance.

Thank you for helping me run for something that matters.

-Lee