I run to raise awareness for cerebral palsy. My son, Gianluca Rocco Aconi, has right sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Donations help to support the Neuroscience Department at CHOP. I want to support them as much as they have supported my son.
Since he’s been born, the doctor’s at CHOP Neurology have been a huge help and will be a part of his life through adolescence. He is going to have obstacles to overcome and we will be there every step of the way to support him. Having CHOP in our lives has been a blessing and huge support.
My wife, who is the strongest woman I know, is also no stranger to CHOP. At age 16 she was diagnosed with an aneurysmal bone cyst which paralyzed her left leg. CHOP Neurology, along with her strong spirit and support from family and friends, helped her overcome it all.
I myself had a spinal stenosis injury and although my surgery was a success thanks to the doctors at Rothman in Philadelphia there are days I know my legs are not there because of the injury. I will never be back to 100% and that's ok. That is what I want my son to know too. That with love and support you can adapt and overcome anything.
Obstacles are not a bad thing. They make us tougher; they make us evolve into better versions of ourselves. This is what I want my son to know as he overcomes his own obstacles.
I’m running the 2024 Philadelphia marathon to show him that although we may have limitations and encounter obstacles, it does not mean we cannot achieve what we want in life. I am not the fastest and that is ok, but I will get the job done to be an example to my boy.
My wife and I have always loved the movie 'Rocky' and we chose to give him the middle name Rocco because of it. We knew early on he was a fighter and he has already shown us how much he can adapt with his diagnosis.
The connection to Philly has always been there for our family from our love of Rocky, to my surgery and the connection of CHOP for my wife and son. So there was no better marathon to choose to kick off Strides 4 Gianluca.
I will be running races before and after the Philly marathon to raise awareness. My hope is to also organize a 5K for cerebral palsy awareness one day. For now, Strides 4 Gianluca will be running races to keep the awareness alive and I am always looking for runners to join us at a race and maybe one day I will have the chance to run a race side by side with my boy!
