Help Andrew raise money

Here we are, nearly 1 year later. Wow! As much hurt and sadness as I and my family have encountered since being thrusted into the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh family, it’s an experience that we’re forever thankful for.
I’ve used running as an outlet for athletics and all those feel good feelings runners chase, it’s just apart of who we are. The idea of running the marathon and fundraising came to me while running a local road race 1 month post Dominic’s remission announcement on Wednesday September 2, 2020. When the announcement of the 2021 Pitt Marathon was cancelled due to Covid, I used my hometown to run my own marathon on May 1st 2021, The DOMSTRONG marathon. It was an incredible day. The pursuit of training and the engagement with fundraising efforts socially served as a continuous morale boost during some rough days in the winter 2021. Each day though, we inch closer to ringing the bell, projected as late October 2022. 

Plot twist, my wife and I found out she was pregnant on the morning of Dom’s diagnosis, July 31, 2020. Yes, read that again. We found out we were having a girl and the name Aria was picked out long before she was born. Amidst the crazy rollercoaster we were on from the moment we learned Melissa was pregnant, she had a very healthy pregnancy. All scans checked out with no issue. To watch how strong she carried another life amidst it all, was an extra boost in my 2021 marathon/fundraising efforts. Aria was born on the morning of Dom’s last Interim Maintenance 2 treatment phase. I left the St Clair Hospital on Monday April 5, 2021 after Aria’s birth to accompany Dom for his big day, putting an end to our weekly visits since August 2020. Our world was rocked again just 48 hours later, Aria was born with a heart murmur. Although more common than realized, it didn’t sit well with me. No signs of this were ever detected, all scans were perfect. How is this happening? Friday April 9th, it was confirmed that she had a hole in her lower chamber and was born too with an aortic arch anomaly, a vascular ring. Hard to put into words what this all meant. Strict monitoring her first few weeks and months was an emotional toll that we struggled to determine the how and why this was happening. I am very happy to report though, zero complications since birth, excellent health and we’ll just continue to monitor over time. No timeframe for surgery, or of if ever needed. Dr’s don’t expect any limitations if she desires athletics too, as her Father, that’s a bit unnerving, but I trust the experts. Time will only tell but today, right now is all we can work with. All praise and thanks goes to the expert care at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

So here we are once again. Marathon season is upon us. A blessing it is to use our bodies to continue on a pursuit of something much greater than the finishing time. The pursuit of finishing a marathon is a mystery to some, crazy to many, and enticing for others. The distance is iconic worldwide and requires a tremendous amount of preparation, belief and a bit of wildness to willingly confront and endure. Fails to compare to the warriors enduring chemotherapy, heart diagnosis’, and for the families walking that walk daily with their loved ones. It’s an honor to play a role in any way.

*ALL donations go to The Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation*

Confidence, Faith, Resilience. Much love to all, let’s do this!

Andrew Trbovich