“Keep moving forward.”
As you may have heard, Sam Berns passed away this past weekend, at the age of 17. Since a very young age, Sam suffered from a rare disease called Progeria. But, he didn’t let this disease run his life. He took the hand he was dealt and approached life with an unbelievably optimistic outlook and truly lived it to the fullest.
While he was only a teenager, Sam was wise beyond his years. He would travel the country sharing his story and his vision on life. I heard a tribute to him on the radio this morning, and hearing him talk is truly inspirational. Despite everything he was dealing with, he approached life in a way that all of us should admire and follow.
“I don’t waste energy feeling bad for myself. I surround myself with people that I want to be with, and I keep moving forward. So with this philosophy, I hope that all of you, regardless of your obstacles, can have a very happy life as well.”
Listening to him talk really puts life into perspective. In reality, having a bad day at work, being stuck in traffic, and not having a strong wifi signal really aren’t worth getting all bent out of shape about. Here is a kid, not knowing if he will live past the age of 13, who approached life with nothing but vigor and bravery. So, the next time you think you’re having a bad day, think about Sam and how he approached life.
“Sometimes I had to be brave. And it wasn’t always easy. Sometimes I faltered. I had bad days. But I realized that, being brave isn’t supposed to be easy. I feel it’s the key way to keep moving forward.”
Sam is believed to be just one of about 100 young people that Progeria has affected. Since 2007, nearly 30 families from 16 different countries have traveled to Boston Children’s Hospital in hopes of receiving treatment for their child’s Progeria. It’s estimated that $3 million is needed to ensure that every child battling Progeria can participate in clinical trials, as they work to find a cure for the disease.
The work in the fight against Progeria is just one example of why I happy to be running the marathon for Boston Children’s Hospital. Knowing that the money I raise will go toward helping kids like Sam truly makes me happy.
Please help support the Boston Children’s Hospital, and all of the amazing work they do, by donating to my marathon run: http://www.milesformiracles.org/goto/vdigirolamo
97 days to go…
-V
