Boston Marathon '25

It is a beautiful day for 129th Boston Marathon!

Today Maggie Shilling is running in the Boston Marathon on the Miles for Miracles team of Boston Children's Hospital.  Maggie reached out to ask if she could add Colin's name to her singlet knowing that we have had a long relationship with BCH.  Of course we said yes!  

Maggie is a Deerfield Academy alumni, her younger sister Ellie graduated with Shane, and her brother Reid was on the lacrosse team at Deerfield during the first few years that Colin was an honorary member.  The family is kind, loving and generous!  

Maggie is currently enrolled in the  Harvard Extension Premedical Program after graduating from 

Williams College '18, B.A. Psychology.

As for a little more background on Colin's relationship with BCH, Colin’s first procedure at BCH was when he was almost 5; he had bilateral femoral osteotomies and tenotomies.  Due to the fact that he has never been able to walk his femoral heads, never got seated into the acetabula. One of his hips was 95% subluxed, the other 75% - he was high tone and in a lot of pain.  Colin spent 14 weeks in a full spica cast, chest to toes, then he spent another 4 to 6 weeks in that cast as a clamshell. It was a long period of time but Colin is a trooper (as he always is!)

We spent over two weeks at Children’s Hospital post operatively which was a definite challenge for him. He needed a blood transfusion and got pneumonia. He couldn’t breathe in the cast they had put him in so the Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Shapiro, one night (while Mike was on duty) was on the bed straddling Colin with the saw cutting out part of that cast so that Colin could breathe. 

Even though it’s 20 years ago all the memories come back like it was yesterday.  We got released on December 23rd in a snowstorm that year, it took three ambulance companies before someone agreed to make the drive to Western Ma. It took about 3 1/2 hours to get from Boston to home, but we were back home for Christmas.  Colin’s cast was signed by patriot players and Celtics players as the teams that represent the city are always great about visiting kids in the hospital, especially around the holidays.  

Colin currently has relationships with a wonderful neurologist, Dr. Harini and exceptional urologist Dr. Keyes, as well as an amazing Otolaryngologist , Dr. Nuss. We are currently working with a genetics team there to provide additional information about Colin’s brain abnormality which is semi lobar holoprosencephaly. We are providing information on the journey that he’s been on. 

Despite Colin being an official adult (he’s now 24) the Children’s Hospital team we still rely on to provide the specialty care that Colin requires and we just simply can’t get any place else. We are grateful for the expert care that Colin receives anytime he is there. 

Please join us in cheering Maggie along the way as she runs not only for our son Colin but for the children of so many.

May Shane's spirit that is very much in the city of Boston day in and day out lift and guide her when she is challenged, may he use his wings to lift her and get her to that finish line. 

GO MAGGIE!