Tread Strong: Support BIDMC’s 2018 Boston Marathon Team
MARCH 26, 2018
Twins Tyler and Charlotte Sheehan are celebrating their second birthdays on March 26. Like many children their age, they’ll entertain themselves with gift boxes and will cover their tiny hands in cake. Their parents, Vanessa and Steve, will watch their “miracle babies” in awe.
“Two short years ago, we were scared out of our minds,” Steve says. “The twins weren’t due for another 13 weeks. We weren’t ready, we still had projects to finish. But our babies were ready—they were ready for their big debut.”
Weighing only two pounds each, Tyler and Charlotte entered this world fighting. They spent the next 112 days in the Klarman Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at BIDMC.
As they watched their newborns thrive, Vanessa and Steve received what they call truly compassionate, extraordinary care from the entire NICU staff. “Nurses, respiratory therapists, doctors and other specialists—everyone was just so incredible. Countless heartwarming experiences brought sunshine to some of the darkest days,” Steve says.
The Sheehan family credits the NICU’s state-of-the-art equipment and world-class staff for helping to give their children a healthy start. “Every day with Tyler and Charlotte is a gift and we are forever indebted to BIDMC and our amazing care team,” Steve says.
In less than a month, this grateful father will trek 26.2 miles to give back. As one of 62 runners on BIDMC’s Boston Marathon team, funds raised on behalf of Stephen will go directly toward the NICU.
“Running from Hopkinton to Boston has always been a dream of mine,” he says. “I’m so grateful for people who want to share in my journey and I can’t wait to tell Tyler and Charlotte all about this one day.”
Each year, approximately one in eight babies in the United States is born prematurely. These vulnerable babies often present with complex medical needs, ranging from severe breathing trouble to underdeveloped organs, and require specialized care to give them a healthy start. BIDMC’s Klarman Family NICU provides state-of-the-art, family-centered care for about 1,000 high-risk newborns and their families each year.
About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a leading academic medical center, where extraordinary care is supported by high-quality education and research. BIDMC is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.