Marie-Elena Dowling

This year I am excited to announce I'm joining Team CHOP and competing in the 2023 TCS NYC Marathon to support kids at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

CHOP holds a special place in my heart and my family’s heart. My daughter Gia Luisa, was diagnosis with Turner’s syndrome in utero. Gia is seen at the Turner’s syndrome clinic at CHOP where a team of doctors will be managing her health for the next 18 years! At a week old she was diagnosis with hyperinsulinism while at chop.  We are so grateful for the care she receives from all her healthcare providers from the Turner’s syndrome clinic to the hyperinsulin team to her fabulous urologist and cardiologist I wanted to give back to CHOP, be apart of their marathon team and fundraise for them! 

Why is this marathon so special to me? Well I grew up in New York City in the outer borough of Staten Island. It was always intriguing to see the runners run the marathon. On November 6, 2022 my husband and I watched Gia’s godmother (my awesome cousin) initials run the course of the marathon on the app in our local nicu waiting for gia to be transferred to chop for care for her hyperinsulinism (another super rare disease where gia pancreas produces too much insulin)  Seeing Gia laying in her bassinet in the nicu being strong as ever, and showing me what it’s like to do hard things, made me want to do a hard thing, run my first marathon ever. I decided in that nicu I was going to run the 2024 marathon but with the push from my awesome cousin I will be running the marathon in 2023. Gia inspired me to do a hard thing, and gia gives me the courage to run this marathon. November 5,2022 I was sitting in a nicu taking it blood sugar check by blood sugar check. November 5,2023 I will be taking it mile by mile, stride by stride. 

I am so excited to run for a cause that is near and dear to my family and I. And I am so excited to show both my daughter Violet and Gia that they can do whatever they want to do in life! #GLWSTRONG

I hope you will consider supporting me as I prepare for the race. 100% of all donations will benefit Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and all donations are tax deductible. Your gift will help make today’s innovative ideas, tomorrow’s reality for kids in the Philadelphia area and around the world.

Thank you for supporting me!

Gia supporting her godmama from the nicu!

my husband, Gia and I arriving to the endocrinology floor at CHOP 

My beautiful Violet and Gia now.