Tread Strong: Support BIDMC’s 2018 Boston Marathon Team

After recently moving to California, Tamara Powell returned to Boston one weekend to surprise her sister, Alice, who had been admitted as a patient at BIDMC. Alice, who works as a patient care technician at the medical center, had been brought to the emergency department (ED) by her supervisor. Alice appeared disoriented and was having trouble speaking—she had suffered multiple strokes.

Upon arriving in Boston, Tamara learned that her sister had flat-lined just a few minutes prior. Internal bleeding set in, and Tamara worried that she wouldn’t get to say goodbye. But after multiple resuscitations and blood transfusions, Alice was stable enough to endure three long surgeries that stopped her internal bleeding. Alice was diagnosed with lupus, a disease that causes the body's immune system to attack its own tissues. It’s not uncommon for people with lupus to suffer from recurrent strokes.

“As my sister’s health care proxy, I was closely involved with her treatment plan,” Tamara recalled. “I witnessed the extraordinary effort by her team of clinicians at BIDMC to keep her alive.”

After an extended stay at BIDMC, Alice was released to a rehab facility. Although she has fully recovered from the strokes and surgery, she still battles with the challenges of lupus every day.

“Words cannot describe how truly incredible and determined the health care professionals are at BIDMC,” Tamara said. “Alice is a mother and a grandmother. Her team made it possible for her to recover and be with her family again.”

As a way of giving back to the hospital she credits for saving her sister’s life, Tamara is running her first-ever marathon as a part of Team BIDMC this April. Funds raised on behalf of Tamara will benefit BIDMC’s Annual Fund, which fulfills BIDMC’s mission of providing compassionate care by helping to provide a reliable, steady source of funding for programs that need it the most.

Learn more about Tamara’s Marathon journey and support Team BIDMC.