HUDSON — This year, Hudson resident Allison Towne will be competing in the Boston Marathon.
The race marks a lifelong goal for her and even crosses an item off her bucket list.
“This is my first time running the Boston Marathon, and I’m so excited to be a part of it,” Towne said.
While Towne loves to run, she is not just participating to fulfill a goal. She will be raising money for the Boston Children’s Hospital, a place that is very special to her because of her son, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when he was three.
“Boston Children’s is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “Boston Children’s has been at the forefront of managing my son’s disease and helping us navigate through our options.”
Everyone she talks to about Boston Children’s Hospital has a connection to it, whether their child was also treated there or a relative received care.
“Connecting with other people about their experiences with Children’s has been a real joy,” she said.
Towne has been a runner off and on for a long time and believes the Boston Marathon is “such an amazing Boston tradition.” Even when she has not been in the event, she has enjoyed cheering on the marathoners.
“Training for and running a marathon is such a big undertaking, and you can see the effort and determination on the course, from the elites to the back of the pack,” she said. “I’m thrilled that I’ll be one of the runners this year.”
She quoted Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967, on the joy of cheering others on at a marathon: “If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.”
Crohn’s diagnosis
Towne’s son was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, which is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This led her son to suffer from symptoms like abdominal pain and fatigue, as well as malnutrition.
“I remember during some of his rough patches I’d go pick him up at preschool and see him on the playground, just sitting on the ground with zero energy while other kids ran and played around him,” she said.
Their pediatrician recommended that they go to Boston Children’s Hospital to look into the symptoms.
According to Towne, it’s uncommon to get a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease at such a young age. However, Boston Children’s Hospital has been there every step of the way to help the family manage her son’s disease. Her son is now five and doing much better.
“Right now, my son is thriving. Boston Children’s [Hospital] helped us find the best medication for him with the least amount of side effects,” Towne said.
They bring him into the Boston Children’s Infusion Center in Waltham every eight weeks for Entyvio infusions. That’s been a “game changer,” she said.
She added, “He’s been doing great.”
Towne counted the family lucky to have such a phenomenal facility within an hour of their home.
“When you go to Children’s, you’re not just seeing the doctor there,” Towne said. “You’ve got a whole care team that rallies around you.”
One of the first times they visited, there was a child life specialist who helped keep both her and her son calm while an IV was put in. The family even received a book to help prepare him for the experience and explain what would happen.
“When my son had a scope done and needed general anesthesia, the nurses and the anesthesiologist took the time to answer questions and listen to our concerns,” Towne said. “The people there truly care.”
Fundraising for Boston Children’s Hospital
Running for the marathon hasn’t been the only way that Towne has fundraised for the hospital. She taught herself to make jewelry, which she then sold at events with the profits going toward Boston Children’s.
There are other small ways people can make a difference, too. Towne referenced the Pawprints program, in which volunteers can bring their dogs to visit patients, or donating blood at the in-house donation center.
And, whether or not the people she meets have had someone treated at Boston Children’s Hospital, Towne said, “They’ve heard stories about the amazing work they do.”
Towne has exceeded her original fundraising goal of $8,000, and her new goal is $10,000. Her donation information is available through the Boston Children’s Hospital website at http://fundraise.childrenshospital.org/goto/towne.
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