My team
My Story…
My name is Brenna and I am a nurse on the Acute Cardiac Care Unit (ACCU) at Boston Children’s Hospital. I am thrilled to be running the 2026 Falmouth Road Race for Live4Evan in honor of Charlie and his family. Read Charlie’s story below!
“Charlie was born with a rare CHD called L-TGA. In February 2025, shortly after Charlie's 2nd birthday, we traveled from Mississippi to Boston for his double switch surgery. We hoped this surgery would repair his defect and prevent the need for a heart transplant later in life. Unfortunately, his heart did not respond to surgery as expected, and he was placed on a form of life support called ECMO. Charlie would remain on ECMO for approximately 3 weeks. Despite numerous attempts to separate from ECMO, Charlie's heart wasn't able to support him anymore. We made the choice to have a Berlin Heart surgically implanted to serve as a bridge to transplant. For over a year, Charlie was kept alive by the Berlin Heart. He spent a total of 425 days in the hospital and was blessed to receive a heart transplant on April 10, 2026.
During our first few months in Boston, we were able to stay in an apartment provided by Live4Evan. Those months were especially tiring and emotionally trying. As Charlie's mother, I spent every night of those first few months in the hospital at his bedside. Having my husband in such close proximity to the hospital was comforting and allowed him to rush over at a moment's notice in case of an emergency. We are thankful for Live4Evan for making such a difficult part of life easier to navigate. Live4Evan provided us with a sense of security and safety, both emotionally and financially, and helped us feel at home even when we were over 1,000 miles away.”
Description
ABOUT US: The Live4Evan Organization was formed out of a desire to recognize and support the critical relationship between a child and their loved ones. We believe that there is no greater gift to be given than a parent’s love to a child. We understand the importance of staying by a child’s side without having to worry about the additional burdens that life can place on us. And so, our organization works tirelessly to provide financial and emotional support to families by providing them with temporary housing while their child receives congenital cardiac treatment.
The Falmouth Road Race has been a crucial fundraiser for Live4Evan for the past 8 years. Over this time, the Live4Evan team members have collectively raised over $720,000. Thanks in large part to these efforts, Live4Evan is currently providing SEVEN patient-family apartments for families traveling to Boston for pediatric cardiac care. These apartments are next to Boston Children's Hospital and offer calm and comfort in the midst of such a difficult time. The close proximity to the hospital ensures that caretakers can be at their loved ones bedside in a moment's notice. The need for patient-family housing is critical and Live4Evan is committed to increasing our apartment portfolio in order to help additional families.
OUR STORY: Live4Evan was founded in memory of Evan Girardi, who passed away his senior year of college from a heart arrhythmia. Evan was born with a congenital heart defect (CHD) known as Corrected L-Transposition of the Great Arteries. Despite his heart condition, Evan lived his life to the fullest. Rather than allow Evan’s passing to put an end to the life and legacy that Evan had built, his friends and family formed Live4Evan to serve as a testament to the power of relationships and the importance of having loved ones by your side.
Watch our video to learn more about the Live4Evan Organization by clicking HERE or by visiting our website.
DONATE: If you would like to make a donation, support one of our runners below or send a check to LIVE4EVAN at P.O. Box 845 Hopkinton, MA 01748
Recent donors
| Donation date | Donor name | Donation amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 02 | Cindy and John | $109.85 |
| Jul 02 | Mary Tobin | $28.10 |
| Jul 02 | Brenda & Mike Tobin | $109.85 |
| Jul 02 | Hope | $28.10 |
| Jul 01 | Carlee Gnos | $55.35 |
| Jul 01 | Tracey Garrett | $28.10 |
| Jul 01 | Elyse Thompson | $273.35 |
| Jul 01 | Lisa Watson | Undisclosed amount |
| Jul 01 | Delaney Campisano | $25.00 |
| Jul 01 | Fundraising Incentive (new runner recruit) | $150.00 |
