“Look for the helpers.”

On April 15, 2013, a group of my seventh grade math students and I were working on preparing for an imminent exam. For fun breaks, we were tracking four of my friends running the Boston Marathon. One student snuck a Boston Google search while we were working. “Something has happened,” he said with a concerned face.

Overcome with emotion, I felt connected to the Boston bombing as it was happening, responsible to take action. But what action can one take 1,024 miles away? Overwhelmed with worry for not just my friends but all the people of Boston, I felt helpless and out of control.

“I’ll get on a plane,” I thought. And then do what? It isn’t an instant transport. “I’ll call a friend in Boston.” And demand he go help? “I’ll give blood.” My medication for Crohn’s disease prevents that. It felt like there was literally nothing I could do.

That evening and in ensuing days, I pored over news footage in the form of words and images. The Runner’s World issue about the Boston bombing is the only issue of that magazine that I ever kept. Moved to tears by the stories I learned, I realized that I was following the advice of Fred Rogers, famed children’s television leader, to “look for the helpers.” I had found them in droves.

During that time, I felt that my role was to help the helpers, which I did through a donation, but mostly through sharing the stories I heard in order to encourage others to form a connection to the people involved in the Boston bombing, thus encouraging those others to help the helpers, too. It never felt like enough, though.

Now, approaching 12 years later, I feel like my opportunity to truly help the helpers has arrived. The year I qualified for the Boston Marathon is the same year I found Brigham Stepping Strong, an organization dedicated to helping the helpers through research, education, and advancement. Ironically in both a proactive and reactive manner, I can help the helpers.

…and finally be a helper myself.

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In 2013, Boston was changed forever when a beautiful Marathon Monday turned into a senseless tragedy. Gillian Reny, then a high school senior, was one of 39 critically injured patients rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where doctors and nurses saved her life and legs. With gratitude to the Brigham, the Reny family established The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation to help other trauma patients regain their strength and ability to step strong once again.

The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation aims to catalyze trauma innovation for injured civilians and military heroes through multidisciplinary investigative collaborations across the continuum of trauma care, from prevention to treatment and recovery. Stepping Strong-funded initiatives are making a profound impact on trauma survivors and their families worldwide. The center has raised more than $30 million to fuel trauma research, advance education, build community, and inspire advocacy. But much more needs to be done.

Trauma is a neglected global epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control:

• Trauma is the number one cause of death for people 44 or younger, ahead of cancer and heart disease.
• Traumatic injuries comprise 40% of visits to emergency departments.
• More than $2 trillion per year is spent on decreased productivity, work loss, and medical costs due to traumatic injuries.
• Despite the significant burden of trauma, less than 2% of federal funding is allocated toward trauma research, inhibiting our ability to understand how to prevent, treat, and improve recovery from traumatic injury.

The Stepping Strong Center remains committed to serving as a leader in trauma research and innovation to bridge this gap and advance the field of trauma care. When you support a member of the Brigham's Stepping Strong Boston Marathon Team, you are helping the center turn tragedy into hope for civilians and military heroes worldwide who have suffered devastating traumatic injuries.

Thank you for supporting this extraordinary group of runners and continuing to honor the Boston Strong spirit that still defines our city today. Learn more about the Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at the Brigham: www.bwhsteppingstrong.org

Qualified runners are encouraged to join our team as well.