Community Corner

Heart Recipient Running Boston Marathon in Honor of Donor Who Gave Him Second Chance at Life

Bedford resident running to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation.

Kory Boglarski, a heart recipient from Bedford, is running the Boston Marathon in honor of the donor who gave him a second chance at life in 1995. This will be Boglarski’s second marathon, but his first time running Boston.

Boglarski originally planned to run the race in 2015, commemorating the 20th anniversary of his heart transplant. That changed when his sister, a spectator at last year’s race, was injured in the Boston Marathon bombings. Following those events, Boglarski decided 2014 is his year to run.

He’ll be running the course donning a shirt that says “Heart Transplant Survivor” to promote organ and tissue donation.

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According to the New England Organ Bank, there are currently more than 5,000 patients waiting for a life-saving organ transplant in New England, and more than 120,000 across the United States. 

Those interested in being a donor can register when they renew their driver’s license or sign up online at www.DonateLifeNewEngland.org. Like the driver’s license designation, the Donate Life New England Donor Registry is a computer database of individuals who have made the decision to be a donor and can be accessed in timely way after an individual’s passing so their wish to donate may be honored.

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