Help Stephanie raise money

My son Elliot turns 19 this August. He lives with severe autism and is my inspiration for participating in the Falmouth Road Race again this year. This will mark my10th year on Team NECC, running to support Elliot's incredible school. 

Elliot is a three time cancer survivor and has lived with significant autism for most of his life. The New England Center For Children has been steadily by our side for the past 16 years since we learned of this incredibly difficult diagnosis. 

Elliot, a tiny 3 year old barely out of intensive cancer treatment, had begun losing language and showing signs of aggression and repetitive behaviors. Our confusion turned to devastation when we learned he had severe autism. The end of cancer treatment celebrations were cut short and the road ahead looked long and bleak. Our desperate search for the best treatment available led us to The New England Center for Children where Elliot has been a student ever since.

Though there is no known cause or cure for autism The New England Center for Children does not waver in their focus and efforts to help each child reach their potential. In Elliot they saw a tiny fighter with a great smile, engaging eye contact but with no verbal language and many behavioral and attentional challenges. The team dug deep to figure out how to help Elliot learn and never looked back. The NECC mission is to relentlessly pursue research driven approaches to this incredibly challenging disorder.

During his time at NECC Elliot has learned to communicate using a language app on an ipad giving him access to the people and the world around him. As his ability to engage in the world increases we have seen a steady decline in his most challenging emotional and behavioral difficulties. 

Running for Elliot has been a part of my life starting with his early cancer days when I would escape the halls of Children's Hospital for quick breaks to hit the roads of Boston. Running gave me a chance to work out what was at times unbearable grief and anxiety as I watched Elliot fight for his life. I went on to run two Boston Marathons for pediatric cancer and subsequently launched what is now my beloved annual tradition to run the Falmouth Road Race to support NECC in their mission to help kids like Elliot and families like ours. 

I have been training hard this summer to show up at the starting line for Elliot and NECC on August 18th. The hills, the heat, the humidity always threaten to slow me down on these mid summer days. During the most challenging, painful moments I pull inspiration from Elliot's life, his unbelievable fighting spirit and the strength I have been able call up during my darkest moments. I learned a long time ago how to pace myself and keep moving forward. 

Participating in the Falmouth Road Race for Team NECC is a chance for me to honor Elliot's incredible resilience and with your help to support the school that has given him a future and our family the gift of hope for the past 16 years. 

I could not be doing this for the 10th time without all of you, my generous supporters. 

Thank you for showing up for me again this year.  

Have a great summer everyone, 

Stephanie