“NewYork-Presbyterian Gave Me the Opportunity to Live Life to the Fullest.”

I was born on December 30, 1994 — two and a half months early and weighing less than three pounds. When my mom’s water broke that morning, she first went to what is now NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester, but doctors rushed her to NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, where there was a neonatal ICU that could handle the most complex cases. When I was born, my skin was almost translucent, and my organs were underdeveloped. During my first few weeks in the NICU, I remained on oxygen and connected to monitors, fighting to stay alive.

In the NICU, doctors discovered what appeared to be a little scratch near my eye – it turned out to be a rapidly growing tumor on the optic nerve behind my left eye. I would’ve permanently lost vision on that side if not for Dr. Martin Leib and rest of the team of specialists.

I was finally healthy enough to go home after three months in the NICU, but my childhood was filled with endless follow-up visits. I grew to know NewYork-Presbyterian well. My parents and I had been treated like family there from Day One. The doctors viewed me not only as a patient, but as one of their own. Along with my family, my care team believed in me even before I understood what it meant to believe in oneself. Now, nearly 29 years later, I still see a few of my doctors — and the visits feel equivalent to seeing an old friend. They always end with a big hug. 

My experiences at NewYork-Presbyterian inspired me to give back to the place that means the world to me. That’s why I’m running the 2023 New York City Marathon as a member of Team NYP. The money I’m raising will go to NewYork-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns. I hope it helps show parents whose babies are currently in the NICU that one day, their tiny babies could also grow up to run a marathon.

I was never a runner and never really had aspirations of running a marathon. But in high school and college, I started running to stay in shape. As I increased my distances, I began to think that maybe one day I could run a marathon. But I always wanted to run for a cause: I wanted my first marathon to be in New York and I wanted it to be for NewYork-Presbyterian.

I’ve had so many care team members over the years, and I started sending some of them notes ahead of the race letting them know how they’ve made such an impact on my life. I want them to know that it’s because of people like them that I’m lining up on November 5. NewYork-Presbyterian gave me the opportunity to live life to the fullest, and it’s an honor to give back and represent Team NYP.