CALGARY – Andrea Rossi’s first days were spent in an incubator at Foothills Hospital.
Born three months premature and weighing two pounds, Rossi lost her sight at birth during the intensive treatment to keep her alive. On Sunday, Rossi said she was eager for a chance to give back to the units that helped save her life 42 years ago. She laced up her sneakers and joined thousands of runners in downtown Calgary at the annual Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run and Walk, which raises funds for the neonatal intensive-care unit at Foothills, and special-care nurseries in other Calgary-area hospitals. “It’s kind of full circle,” said Rossi, as she prepared to walk the five-kilometre stretch with her friend and fitness trainer. Preparing for the race has been a challenge, said Rossi. Part of her strength, she added, comes from her own mother, Trish, who looked on proudly as Rossi got set for her first-ever race.
“She means everything,” Rossi said of her mother.