Running for Boston’s Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation
As the athletes of the 127th Boston Marathon celebrate their amazing feat, LeMay Family Goodworks is extremely proud of Michelle’s sister-in-law, Amie LeMay, who ran to support The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation!
Congratulations to Amie for finishing with a time of 03:44:59 and raising $14,799.40 for the Stepping Strong Center—and you can still donate through June 1st! We’d also like to congratulate the 30,239 participants who competed in today’s race. With a whopping $40 million estimated to be raised, the Boston Marathon continues to have a monumental impact on many nonprofits!
This year also marks a decade since the Boston Marathon bombing. The Stepping Strong Center and Gillian Reny’s story is an awe-inspiring example of how miracles and beauty can come from tragedy. Read on to learn how the organization fuels trauma innovation for civilians and military personnel worldwide.
About The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation
On April 15, 2013, Gillian Reny was enjoying a beautiful day alongside her parents, Audrey and Steven. They were cheering on her sister, Danielle, near the Boston Marathon finish line when suddenly, two bombs went off, nearly costing Gillian her life and her legs.
Amazingly, first responders saved Gillian’s life and both of her legs. Defying the odds, Gillian recovered in time to walk in her high school graduation and head off to college that fall. She and her family were so grateful for the doctors and nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. They wanted to do something to help advance the hospital’s trauma care work so they could help other trauma survivors.
What began as the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Fund in 2014 evolved into the Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation by 2017, based out of Brigham and Women’s.
The Stepping Strong Center is on a mission “to catalyze multidisciplinary collaborations that inspire groundbreaking innovation, effective prevention, and compassionate intervention to transform care for civilians and military heroes who endure traumatic injuries and events.”
Trauma Research
Trauma is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 46. The Reny family recognized this as an area in need of significant research and resources, so they began with the Stepping Strong Innovator Awards in 2014.
This grant program supports research and innovation to:
Prevent traumatic injury before it occurs
Improve the treatment and care of traumatic injury when it does occur
Ensure its associated recovery
Up to four awards of $100,000 each are granted each year. So far, this grant has funded research like the revolutionary Ewing Amputation, a lower-limb procedure that allows amputees to regain normal limb function!
Injury Prevention
The Stepping Strong Injury Prevention Program aims to reduce the burden of traumatic injury, one of the most under-recognized yet prevalent medical challenges in the U.S. The program focuses on:
World-class, multidisciplinary research on injury causes, results, and prevention
Community outreach and implementation of evidence-based prevention strategies
Training and education of healthcare professionals to further research, address new problems, and reach diverse populations—at Brigham and beyond
The Stepping Strong Injury Prevention Program focuses on but is not limited to:
Falls Prevention
Violence Prevention
Long-Term Post-Injury Outcomes
Traffic Safety
Substance Use Prevention
Education
Through the Stepping Strong Center Fellowships, the Center trains the next generation of medical leaders. These programs provide educational and funding opportunities for healthcare professionals and learners who wish to contribute to the field and/or expand their understanding of traumatic injuries.
Current fellowship programs include:
The Stepping Strong Trauma and Hand Fellowship
The Stepping Strong Plastic Surgery Fellowship
The Stepping Strong Injury Prevention Fellowship
The Stepping Strong Amputee Rehabilitation Fellowship
Community
The ever-growing Stepping Strong community is always giving back and uniting to transform trauma research and care for people worldwide. These include:
Medical caregivers and researchers
Boston Marathon runners
Volunteers
Collaborators
Donors
Support Transformational Trauma Research & Innovation
There are many ways to support The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation! If you’d like to help them transform trauma care and recovery for survivors, please consider:
Donating: By making a monetary gift, you have a direct impact on the Center’s groundbreaking research, education, and life-saving measures.
Hosting a Fundraiser: If you’d like to do even more, you can host a fun and easy fundraiser for the Stepping Strong Center—from active events to virtual activities to bake sales and beyond!
Run for the Stepping Strong Center: Start training now for next year’s Boston Athletic Association 5K, Boston Marathon, or your own race to benefit the Center!
If you’re in Boston for the marathon or simply enjoying the city today, you can even give back while enjoying delicious food and drinks at these locations!
Of course, you can always help by spreading the word and sharing their cause. Follow the Center on Facebook or Instagram @steppingstrongcenter to keep up with their latest efforts.