Just before Thanksgiving 2023, our daughter Angelica, then 21, had notice of some abnormal test results concerning her kidneys and was advised to find a specialist as a matter of urgency. Angelica had been getting increasingly sicker over the course of 8 years, and the almost monthly blood tests at endocrinology, gastroenterology, internal medicine, and other departments at top medical institutions all over the United States, brought us no closer to a successful diagnosis. Not even knowing what we were dealing with, we immediately began searching for the best possible kidney doctors within a couple of hours of Northeastern University, where she had just begun her Senior undergraduate year. Thanks to the compassionate assistance of the Brigham and Women's nephrology department, she was referred to Dr. Raad Chowdhury, who quickly determined that Angelica suffers from C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN), an extremely rare kidney disease that damages the glomeruli, or filters in the kidney. 

At the time of testing, Angelica's combined kidney function was dropping almost weekly and had almost reached the 20% mark. While there is currently no cure for C3GN, Dr. Chowdhury met regularly with the foremost specialists in the area and put together an initial treatment plan at Brigham that saved her life and brought her kidney function back up to 35-39%. During the ensuing months, the Brigham staff were so wonderful and supportive of Angelica, and  our gratitude to Dr. Chowdry and to Brigham cannot be expressed in words.  Their unwavering care and my daughter’s strength and bravery throughout are my inspiration for running the 2026 Boston Marathon both in honor of Angelica, and to support the Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. My fundraising goal this year is $12,000, and I hope that you will join me in achieving and even surpassing that amount, so that others may also receive the same lifesaving care as Angelica received at BWH. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for your love and support on this important journey.

Sandy xo

**Learn more about the Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at the Brigham: www.bwhsteppingstrong.org