Peabody Moms To Run Boston Marathon For Boston Children's In Honor Of Their Sons

PEABODY, MA — Two Peabody mothers whose young sons received emergency care and extended support at Boston Children's Hospital are running this year's Boston Marathon in honor of their sons' fights and to raise money for the hospital on the Miles for Miracles 2025 team.

Katie Colombo and Rachael Randall are running the 26.2 miles for their sons, Matthew and Jeremiah, respectively, as well as others who have been and are being treated at Children's.

"We are honored to be running this year's Boston Marathon for the Boston Children's Hospital's Miles for Miracles Team," Colombo told Patch. "Every dollar we raise funds the very best medical care, breakthrough research and vital support services for the patients at Children's.

"We are so lucky to be within arms' reach of one of the top pediatric hospitals in the nation, and Rachael and I both understand firsthand just how lucky we truly are. ... Thankfully, our stories
are that of triumph — unfortunately, not all stories end this way."

Colombo said the cause is special to her after Matthew was born with a "horseshoe" kidney and was a BCH urology patient for the first five years of his life. She said her sister, Kara, also underwent heart surgery as a newborn and received care at Children's for six months.

She said she is running for all the BCH patients who have received blood donations and the families of those patients with whom she has connected through hosting blood drives over the past 10 years.

Randall said she is running in honor of her Jeremiah, who was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, a life-threatening inflammation of brain and spinal cord membranes, when he was 13 days old and spent 18 days fighting for his life and recovering at Children's.

Jeremiah suffered no long-term neurological problems but did develop hearing loss, and has been involved with speech programs at Children's, while thriving with the use of specialty hearing aids.

"He is determined, focused and positive with every obstacle he faces," Randall said. "He's made meaningful relationships and friendships and excels in every arena he enters. Seeing his determination day in and day out has inspired me once again to run the Boston Marathon as he runs his own marathon every single day."

Randall said she is also running for her best friend's daughter, Adalina, who was born with Down Syndrome and is a patient at the Down Syndrome Clinic at BCH.

"She has captured the hearts of so many and has excelled in every arena she enters," Randall said. "Her mom and I have leaned on each other through every appointment, diagnosis, and obstacle and together with our husbands have become fierce advocates for our kids.

"We're certain our kids will be change-makers in this world that sees kids like ours not for their differences but instead for their strengths."

Colombo has raised about $12,000 of her $21,000 goal as of Tuesday with those wishing to donate to her efforts able to so do here.

Randall has also raised about $12,000 of her $20,000 goal with her donation page here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)