Hello! My name is Abby and as a pediatric hematology/oncology/stem cell transplant nurse as well as an avid runner, I could not be more excited to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon for the patients on the 17th floor at Lurie Children’s! Even better, I have the honor of being co-captains of our A Little Lighter team under the larger Lurie team. Every training mile and the ultimate 26.2 miles will be for them - to advance research, support families and share hope in the midst of difficult times.

The state of healthcare in America feels uncertain but regardless of decisions our nation's leaders make, children will still get cancer. And with the way things stand, national funding to support research for these amazing kids could be less than the current practice - a mere 4% (this is the amount allocated from the National Cancer Institute). They deserve so much more.

My floor's very own nonprofit, A Little Lighter, works to provide children and families with resources to make their hospitalization and cancer walks a bit easier. This includes toys, nail polish, candy, an ice cream cart, and more fun items! But more importantly, it includes things backpacks to carry continuous chemo infusions, pockets for feeding tubes, dinner for mothers of patients to meet and share their stories, and parking passes to aleviate the hefty fees of parking in downtown Chicago for months on end.

2025 has been my most challenging year of nursing (and that is saying something since having been a nurse during the pandemic!) but I know my experiences pale in comparison to what my patients and families walk through each day. If you ever want to hear more about life on 17 and how A Little Lighter is changing lives, I would be delighted to chat more.

As a nonprofit hospital, Lurie Children’s depends on donations to provide the best care for kids. I hope you’ll help me reach my goal in support of the patients and families at Lurie Children’s.

Thank you in advance and Go Team Lurie!

- Abby

All donations are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged by Lurie Children’s Foundation.