Hello friends and family,

I will be running the 117^th Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013! I never thought I would be motivated to train in the New England winter season and then voluntarily run 26.2 miles, however I have been inspired! I am running on behalf of Operation Airway, which is co-sponsored by Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.

This mission is near and dear to my heart. As a pediatric speech pathologist at MGHfC, I work with a diverse population of medically complex children. I treat children with speech, language, feeding and swallow disorders and love every minute of my day.         

In June 2012 I was asked to join the Operation Airway team to travel to Quito, Ecuador. The goal of this mission is to make life changing airway reconstructive surgery and post operative care available to all children in need. The team performs surgeries due to medical issues such as vocal cord paralysis as well as a variety of congenital and acquired problems.

For example, Marco was abandoned during early infancy to an orphanage with signs of neglect and physical abuse. He had noisy breathing and difficulty swallowing. Without the evaluation performed by the Operation Airway team, the large mass above Marco’s vocal folds may have never been diagnosed and a tracheotomy never performed. After treatment, Marco’s breathing issues have been resolved, and the mission was able to remove the tracheotomy in June 2012. During my time in Quito, I worked with his caretakers on his drinking and solid food progression after the surgery.

The experience derived from the mission led me to present at an airway conference in Ecuador regarding the role of a speech pathologist in working with children with airway issues including communication, feeding and swallowing. Additionally, I was compelled to participate in discussions with numerous parents about the challenges the children of Quito face due to their medically complex diagnosis.

The hope is this mission will continue to provide medical services, support and education to third world cities such as Quito. Please consider donating to help my goal of raising $5,000 for the Operation Airway. For more information on the mission, please visit http://www.masseyeandear.org or www.google.com and search ‘operation airway mission.’

Donations are fully tax deductible and if your company participates in a matching program please consider applying to have your gift matched. Donations can be made online through this website, or a check can be made to Foundation of Mass. Eye and Ear, Inc. sent to my home address at 613 East Second Street, Apt 2, South Boston, MA 02127.

I look forward to keeping you informed of my progress – both in training and fundraising.

Thank you very much for your generous support!

With much love,

Sarah