Port Native Takes Part in First Boston Marathon

Come on down to Moe's Italian Sandwiches on Saturday, April 7, from 9 am - 7 pm inside  the Shell Station at 81 Storey Avenue, Newburyport.  Mr. Hady El Hamar, the proprietor at Moe’s Italian Sandwiches, is graciously donating a percentage of proceeds for the day to Alexis's fundraising efforts.


A Message from Alexis Cole: I was waitlisted to join the Miles for Miracles Team to run the 2017 Boston Marathon, but feeling hopeful, I began marathon training anyway. The end of 2016 took an unexpected turn; when I was biking to the lab that I work in at Boston Children’s Hospital, I was doored by a truck driver who did not see me in the bike lane. The day that I left the emergency room and knew that I would not be back to work or volunteering that following week, I was feeling heartbroken. 

From my years of volunteering and spending time with patients in the oncology and hematology units on the 6th floor at Boston Children’s Hospital, I have learned so much about strength and recovery. Sure, our situations were quite different, but what I’ve learned from these kids is that when you want nothing else more in the world than to recover, you can gain this unexplainable sense of strength that’ll give you that push that you needed to keep moving forward. A long day of vomiting, and inability to get out of bed or suffering through what you think is the most incredible migraine in the world, just becomes a small bump on your road to recovery.

What helped me run again was my love for research and the patients at Boston Children’s Hospital. For over 4 years, I have been volunteering in the in-patient units and have been working in the Translational Research Lab for over 2 years. Whether they know it or not, my PIs, Dr. Brian Polizzotti, and Dr. John Kheir, were two of the most important influences that got me through my recovery. Never at any point during my recovery did they give up on me. Their passion and motivation to transform their research about intravenous oxygen delivery from a dream into a reality is what drives my dedication to science and fulfilling my dreams of running the Boston Marathon.

I have been given this incredible opportunity to give back to Boston Children's Hospital for creating a foundation for my career in medicine, by joining their Miles for Miracles team and pledging to raise $7500.00 to support Boston Children's Hospital. Your donations help make life happier and healthier for the patients and their families.

Thank you for your support!

With love,
Alexis