Competing in marathons can be a difficult way to pass your time but recently this task no longer seems quite so monumental. Last winter, my mother saw an advertisement in a local newspaper that was asking for runners and walkers to join the first ever Providence Ronald McDonald House (PRMH) Running Club. I wasn’t sure how I would fit in this group, but I attended the initial meeting and was hooked.
The PRMH Running Club is designed to get runners and walkers in the community to promote fitness while raising funds for this very worthy cause. The purpose of the PRMH is to serve as a home away from home for the families of children receiving treatment at local hospitals, such as Hasbro, Bradley and Women & Infants. The House provides a necessary shelter for families who have infants born prematurely, and pregnant women who must be hospitalized for an extended period of time.
During the last nine months, I have become very active in the Running Club and have ran two marathons and raised close to $3,000 for the house.
This past Sunday I attended the PRMH annual Holiday Opened House. I was very excited to participate in this event, I also was a little nervous. I knew that I would hear and see many emotional stories and being upset or nervous can make it more difficult for me to communicate with those around me. However I psyched myself up and went in there with a positive attitude.
For once in my life I was early. I arrived at the house just before 1 p.m. swallowed the lump in my throat and was warmly greeted by Mr. Michael Fantom. Mr. Fantom is the director of PRMH. He said he was glad to see me and he encouraged me to mingle and enjoy myself.
The house was full of children, their families, and volunteers. I was fortunate to find two special young girls and their families that I was able to spend some quality time with. The first girl I pulled up next to was Jodie. Jodie is 11-years-old and was born with Spina Bifida. Some time ago she had to have a major operation and her family was fortunate enough to be close by because of the generosity of the PRMH. This little girl was very friendly and talkative; we talked about everything from the time she spent in the hospital to her friends at school. I even got her to blush when I asked her if she had a boyfriend, she giggled yes.
As I moved into the next room I came upon another small girl in a wheelchair. I introduced myself to her parents and told them that I ran marathons for the house. These people were friendly and after a few minutes I felt I had known them for years. Their little girl is 5-years-old and her name is Ella. Ella has Cerebral Palsy and is hearing impaired. Ella’s parents quickly make it clear that she rarely shows affection towards others, but after talking with them for about 20 minutes she was touching my arm and once she even gave me a hug. This really surprised both of her parents; they started taking pictures and were almost in tears. Before they left we exchanged numbers and I told them I would dedicate my next marathon to Ella. This made them very happy.
As I left PRMH on Sunday I felt like a different person. Sometimes we get caught up in our own lives and worry about small things that seem important at the time, but are really inconsequential. In the past, I’d be upset for weeks if I didn’t set a personal best in a marathon. After Sunday I’ll no longer put my finishing times at the top of my priorities. Instead I think I’ll replace those goals and focus on trying to raise funds and the spirits of others rather than worrying about every minute that ticks by.
-Jason Pisano
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