Fifteen-year-old Robert Miranda is a winner in our eyes. Not because he got 3rd place at the 2015 National Junior Olympics for the 3,000 meter race, not because he was named Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year by The Daily Journal, not even because he was the 5k overall 2nd Place Finisher at our Summer Scamper last year—Robert inspires us because of WHY he runs.
“I run to support my sister Isabel, who has epilepsy and is cognitively disabled,” Robert explains. “She is a patient at Packard Children’s and the hospital does so much for her.”
Robert is gearing up to run in his third Summer Scamper this year, and in the past month he has already raised nearly $2,000 for music therapy, a program that is close to his heart.
“I believe in this program because my sister has been the beneficiary of music therapy and I know firsthand the benefits she has received from the treatment,” Robert writes on his fundraising page. “I have seen her grow cognitively and socially, and have fun through her love of music, which is just as important as the development of speech and fine motor skills in a more traditional therapy setting.”
Thanks to Robert’s efforts and donors like you, we are one step closer to developing a comprehensive music therapy program for more kids like Isabel. Please join us in thanking Robert for his support and cheer him on at Summer Scamper!
Watch Robert's interview in our 2015 Summer Scamper video.