This past Sunday was our 5th annual Boston Children's Hospital walkathon. We started this tradition five years ago in attempt to give back to this wonderful hospital that was so instrumental in saving my Hannah's life. Once again, the crew put on their walking shoes and completed the 7-mile feat with I do believe our best "time" yet! Might I add that we had 4 children with us ranging from ages 7 months to 5 and all of these girls were complete troopers! Baby Reanna went the whole 7 miles without even stopping for a bottle and only one quick diaper change and she was good as gold. Layla cakes was fantastic and never once got out of the stroller in the 2 hours it took us to cross the finish line. Miss Brenna gave us a lesson in endurance as she kept getting out of the stroller to run her way through the walk. Lastly, Hannah got a kick out of it all and loved the pit stops with snacks the most! We crossed the finish line and all the kids got their medals and were beaming with pride.
The crew changes every year but there are a few walkers that have been with me from the beginning. Julie for one, has done the walk each year with me. Also, Auntie Paula and Andrea have also been with me from day one. Peter and Brenna joined us a few years back as well as Andrea's sister Lori and her husband. This year we had a few new additions, Auntie Jan, Erin and Mikey. It was a great crew and I felt so blessed to have this group share this experience with us. It means the world to me that everyone truly enjoys this day and feels great about giving back to Childrens. The feeling of accomplishment and goodness truly makes the day a huge success.
I would be remiss if I didnt thank all of our supporters as well. Year after year supporters donate to this walk in Hannah's honor. They never seem to hesitate even amidst the difficult financial times! This year, we were blessed to get a huge donation from Anthony and Kristi Romano who chose to donate $500 to this event in lieu of the wedding favors. I was totally floored when I got this phone call on Thursday evening and I am forever grateful for the gift. You have no idea how much this gift will make a difference in a child's life. Thank you, to all of our supporters for being there for us year after year.
As the years purge on, Hannah becomes more and more aware of what she went through as an infant and I have to say that this year I think she really "got it" in terms of all of these people coming together to support this cause in honor of her. She is my little survivor and as I have said many times before, I am blessed. For all that she went through, she is so darn intelligent and spunky! How did I get so lucky? Every year during this event I pass groups of people wearing T-Shirts with pictures of children on them that say, "In Memory Of". Yet, here I am, with my blessing by my side. It is truly a humbling experience. Trust me when I say, I know, I know how blessed I am!
On a final note I just have to add another funny Hannah moment. She decided yesterday that she would tell her class and Preschool teachers that it was her birthday. Apparently she felt as though she was getting jipped in having a summer birthday so the whole class participated in singing Happy Birthday to her and the teachers frantically put together a crown for her to wear. For those of you who may not know, Hannah's birthday is not until July 12th. Yup, and there she was, putting on a show, so that she could get her moment in the spotlight! Only my Hannah Banana!
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