It’s hard to believe it’s already been 20 years since I was first diagnosed with Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP). At the age of 12, I spent a full week waking up each morning with blood covering my face after a dental extraction. Due to a very low platelet count, my parents were told to rush me to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Many tests later, I had my final diagnosis, ITP.

Most of my teenage years were spent in and out of the hospital, receiving monthly IVIG or multiple courses of prednisone. My family and I felt very alone on this rollercoaster ride until I eventually discovered the Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA).

I can truly say that PDSA changed my life for the better. Attending their annual ITP conference allowed me to meet and connect with others who have ITP and for the first time I didn’t feel so alone. I now consider this amazing group of people as my second family. I started to get involved with their walk/run events and Sport Purple for Platelets fundraisers. This gave my diagnosis a new, more positive outlook. I switched my focus to helping others and eventually pursued my career in medicine because of it.

After the COVID pandemic hit and I started the most challenging part of my medical training, I certainly took a step back from my fundraising efforts and went into survival mode. During this time, I was also diagnosed with a second autoimmune condition, celiac disease. I needed to take time to focus on my physical and mental health. The one activity that has always grounded me and allowed me to find myself again during challenging times is running. For this reason, after a long 5-year hiatus, it feels so good to be training for a half-marathon again, getting my health in check, and feeling more like me again!

I am so excited to be running my 8th half marathon on November 16, 2024 in Queenstown, New Zealand. I am also very happy to be running it alongside my husband, Dave, who has always been my number one supporter. In these last 2 weeks before the race, I want to dedicate this event to raising funds and awareness for PDSA and ITP! So please join me in my goal to raise $2,100 for running 21 km!

All donations are in US Dollars.