Growing up, running had always connected Emma and her mom, Laura. She was her Girls on the Run coach and was always there cheering her on at cross-country meets.

“I was never the fastest or even the fifth fastest,” said Emma. “But I always had my mom’s determination and that is what has kept me running all these years.”

Emma was set to run the Honolulu Marathon on December 8^th, 2024, but a few weeks before her trip she received a phone call from her dad that changed her plans, and her entire life. Her mom had suffered a stroke.

Two days before Thanksgiving, Laura, was living a healthy life and preparing for the holidays with her family. In the middle of the night, their family dog sensed something was wrong and woke Laura and her husband up.

They did not know it at the time, but while Laura was sleeping, she had a brain aneurysm rupture that caused her to have a rare hemorrhagic stroke.

Within hours, Laura was rushed to the hospital, where surgeons and ICU staff saved her life.

“She is a fighter,” Emma said.  “My family and I will forever be grateful to the medical teams who gave her this second chance.”

After weeks in the ICU, multiple surgeries, and months of uncertainty, she is finally home. Laura’s team of doctors are optimistic that with hard work and intensive rehab, she can make a full recovery.

“My mom has always been the strongest woman I know,” said Emma. “In this small way, I just want to honor her strength.”

On Sunday, October 12^th, Emma will be joining Tedy’s Team on the streets of Chicago as she takes on the 2025 Chicago Marathon in honor of her mom.

“Now, she’s my inspiration as I take on these 26.2 miles here in Chicago,” Emma said. “With every step, I’ll carry her strength, her determination, and most of all my gratitude that she’ll be there cheering me on.”

To support Emma’s fundraising and awareness efforts, please visit her personal fundraising page and learn the warning signs of stroke which are best remembered by using the acronym BE FAST, which stands for:

• Balance Difficulties
• Eyesight Changes
• Face Drooping
• Arm Weakness
• Speech Difficulties – and if you notice any of those warning signs, it’s…
• TIME TO CALL 9-1-1.

BE FAST is an acronym to help you quickly recognize common signs of a stroke and to take any necessary action by calling for emergency medical services. Other symptoms may include sudden and severe unexplained headache or migraine with no obvious cause, and confusion or trouble understanding things they would normally know.

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