Collin's Marathon Page

Creator: Collin Bianchi

Help me reach my goal of: $2,500
So far I've raised: $2,556.2

I am fundraising for Children's Hospital!

Hi and thank you for visiting my page!  My name is Collin and I am 2 1/2.  I live in Webster, MA with my mom Kristen, dad Scott, and three sisters, Marisa (8), Kara (4), and baby Leah (6 months)!  I am teaming up this year, for the first time, with Matthew Schiller from Sterling, MA.  He is going to run the Boston Marathon to raise money for Children's Hospital, and I am his patient partner!  I hope to raise money so I can give back to Children's.  Here is my story:

I was born on June 16, 2009 after an uneventful pregnancy and "normal" ultrasounds.  But much to my family's (and doctor's) surprise, I was born with Bladder Exstrophy (B.E.).  My bladder was inside out and outside of my body!There is a lot that goes along with this condition, but I won't bore you with the medical details.  Nobody knew what to do, or even what it was! So after only a few minutes of visiting with my parents, I was taken by ambulance to Children's Hospital where I would meet Dr. Borer and his team from Urology.  I had surgery when I was 2 days old to repair my bladder and all the other parts of me that were affected by this condition.  The surgery lasted about 8 hours, but I made it through!  I spent 3 weeks recovering (laying in traction with my feet in the air!) before I joined my family at home. 

That was the biggest surgery but I also ended up needing a double hernia repair (common with B.E.) when I was three months old and a fistula repair at the age of 1.  I also spent 4 days at Children's this past fall for a severe Urinary Tract Infection and kidney infection, which I am predisposed to because of my condition.  But on top of all of that, I developed some feeding and drinking issues. I was aspirating on liquids and choking on any food offered to me besides baby food.  After procedures such as barium swallows, endoscopies, and allergy testing, I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophogitis (E.E.).  This means that I have such severe food and environmental allergies that affect my entire digestive tract.  It makes it hard for my body to fight off these allergens, my throat gets inflamed, and it is difficult for me to swallow. So far, allergy tests indicate 26 allergies including: milk, soy, egg, wheat, oat, peanut, almond, grape, tomato, strawberry, sweet potato, carrot, pork, peas, green beans and chicken.  My diet is very limited.  I mostly just eat rice cereal and some baby food.  I do have some favorite snacks, though... potato chips and dry cereal!  Oh yeah, and lollipops!  Dr. Rosen is taking care of me, though!  She makes me get endoscopies to check my throat often, which kind of stinks, but I know it's only to help me find foods my body can tolerate!  She said my esophagus looked "gorgeous" this last time! 

I also have environmental allergies that makes me break out into hives and makes me feel as though I have a cold almost every day.  Apparently I react to all tree pollens, mold, and animals such as cats and dogs.  The weirdest thing I think I have is called Cold Urticaria.  I break out into hives all over my body whenever I touch something cold, such as water, cold air, cold drinks, ice, popsicles, and even the kiddie pool in the summer.  It's just an allergy that I have that we have to be careful to avoid! 

Needless to say, I have spent many days at Children's Hospital.  The doctors, nurses, child life specialists, and volunteers were like family to me.  They still are. They cared for me as if I were their own.  And at Children's, unlike other hospitals my family has had experience with, they care for the patient's family as much as they care for the patient!  They always checked on my mom and dad to see if they needed food, drink, pillows, and blankets.  They even occupied my sisters in the playroom so my parents could spend some time with me while I recovered.  One day, after getting tubes in my ears, I left the hospital without my favorite stuffed animal.  My mom called the recovery room on the way home to see if they could find my dog, and it was already in the mail!  I got my doggie two days later and I was very thankful!

I can't say enough about my experience at Children's.  That's why I want to give back.  I decided to join Miles for Miracles in hopes of raising money for other children and their families who visit Children's.  I hope others can benefit from the love I've received during my many days at Children's and I know that I will continue to be welcomed there as I require future surgeries. 

Thank you for reading my story and I hope you can help!

Love,
Collin