When Windsor resident Stephanie Famiano went out for her first run ten years ago, it was a lot shorter than a half-marathon. But, as sore as the jog left her, she knew that pushing herself felt good. Today, Stephanie has 8 marathons and countless half marathons under her belt and is using her skill to help fund a cause near and dear to her heart.
“Joe and I were high school sweethearts,” said Stephanie. “I think we first got together at the beginning of our junior year in high school and have been together ever since. We’ll be married for 13 years come this September.”
A dedicated wife and mother, Stephanie was shocked when in 2013 her husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, that interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.
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More than 6,300 Connecticut residents are living with MS. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide.
While Joe’s MS symptoms have been pretty manageable, the couple couldn’t help but notice how expensive it was to have such an illness.
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“I couldn’t help but take notice of all the medical bills and began to realize how fortunate we were to have good insurance that helped us along the way,” Stephanie said. “Then I started to think of all the people who have MS who are in need of financial assistance and who need help managing their disease, so I decided to start running for the cause.”
With a father who is an Ironman triathlete, racing was in Stephanie’s blood. After her first half-marathon in 2007, she was hooked and has been traveling the northeast to run in any race she can – marathons, half-marathons and even 5Ks. After her husband’s diagnosis, she decided to ask for sponsorships and raised funds through her running and donated it to the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, a collective of passionate individuals who want to do something about MS now.
In order to continue her ‘Fund, Race, Fight’ campaign and reach her fundraising goal, Stephanie needs your support in her next race. To sponsor Stephanie in the Ion Bank Cheshire Half Marathon and 5K and leave your mark in the fight against MS, donate here!
