Hi, my name is Ren Marill. I am 18 years old. I was born with a mitochondrial disease (MELAS) that didn’t start majorly affecting my ability to participate in everyday life until I was 11 years old. MELAS causes everything from chronic pain to severe muscle weakness and organ dysfunction. When I was eleven, it became tough for me to go to school or socialize and I felt very isolated. It was a couple of months later that another family had mentioned Chai Lifeline to my mom. I got my first Big Sib and I still remember the first time we hung out. We went to a Color-Me-Mine and painted pottery. I remember feeling like I could talk about the medical stuff going on in my life or I could talk about whatever little me was fixated on at that time. I finally had some glimmers of light in my day-to-day life.

Even when COVID hit, I still got to meet with my Big Sibs. Yes, we had to get creative, I remember one hang out outside under a canopy with a baby pool full of water beads to stick my feet in. A storm even hit and we had to retreat into my family’s garage and we laughed the whole time. They even planned a whole day around me as I was aging out. We made pizza at Ben Yehuda’s in the morning. I went home for a bit, then they picked me up with a minivan full of people. We ate falafel, and then went to a painting class to sum it all up. I felt so loved as we blasted musical theater soundtracks.  Kids my age (11-12) were often mean and judgmental of me as I was trying to fumble around middle school while trying to figure out multiple chronic illnesses and treatments. Chai Lifeline and my three Big Sibs were truly such a bright light in my complicated and sometimes depressing world. I could never thank them or Chai Lifeline enough for all that they did for me.

Please donate to Shlomo Linzer (Team Baltimore) as he rides with Chai Lifeline in my honor.

I thank you for your support.