Tread Strong: Support BIDMC’s 2019 Boston Marathon Team

BIDMC Contributor

APRIL 08, 2019

Although a New York resident, Alexander (Alex) Smith says his roots belong to Massachusetts. “I was born in Boston, lived in Duxbury and have a lot of extended family in the area,” he explains.

So when given the opportunity to run the Boston Marathon for Team BIDMC, it just made sense. “I never considered myself a runner until about seven years ago when I ran my first marathon in New York City in support of the American Cancer Society,” he says. “Since then, I’ve run nine more marathons—but I’ve never taken part in the infamous Boston Marathon.”

AlexSmithGrandfather

Runners everywhere recognize the route from Hopkinton to Back Bay for the grueling course that it is, complete with “Heartbreak Hill” not far from the finish line. “The best part about this journey, however, isn’t the race—it’s the opportunity to give back,” he says.

Alex is running on Team BIDMC to raise funds and awareness for kidney disease research. “This cause hits close to home because my grandfather, Daniel, was treated at BIDMC for kidney cancer,” he shares.

While undergoing treatment, physicians discovered that Daniel had an unusual horseshoe-shaped kidney, in addition to an abdominal aortic aneurysm. “He eventually needed surgery for the aneurysm, too, but thanks to the expert care he received, he recovered and lived a healthy life until the age of 92,” Alex says.

AlexSmithGrandmother

Alex’s grandmother has also been a patient at BIDMC. “She’s still in good health at 98 years old,” he says. “I’ve always been a charity runner. BIDMC has helped my family so much, and I jumped at the opportunity to be able to give back.”

Funds donated on behalf of Alex will benefit kidney disease research at BIDMC. Learn more about Alex and support Team BIDMC.

About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a leading academic medical center, where extraordinary care is supported by high-quality education and research. BIDMC is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.