I'm Martin, a Spanish PhD student at Harvard and a double suicide loss survivor. I'll be running the 2023 Boston Marathon for Samaritans to help them raise funds for their services including suicide prevention hot lines, fighting stigma around suicide and mental health, and providing grief support group sessions for survivors, a service which I've benefitted from extensively these past couple of years because I've lost two beautiful humans to suicide. Thus, above all, this fundraiser is in their honor, with the aim of keeping their memory alive for a good cause, and give the many people they touched while alive a tangible way to channel the pain from their absence into alleviating other people's pain.

I lost my partner of 6 years, Camila, when she was a 31 year old Yale Psychology PhD student on December 2021. I supported her in her battle with depression and suicidality over the COVID-19 pandemic. A big part of the reason why I chose to fundraise for a non-profit is because this was one of the things she'd encourage me to do despite my initial skepticism. Camila was incredibly passionate about social justice. She taught me the value of fiercely fighting for those struggling and in need of help, which she did often even during times when she herself was struggling. 

I've also lost my PhD advisor, mentor, and role-model, Emmanuel, a 41 year Harvard Economics professor, who took his own life in the summer of 2020. Camila was the one that encouraged me to rely on Samaritans to cope with his loss.

Samaritans was there for me every step of the way, and I want to do whatever I can to give back and help their mission. I'm choosing to run for the Boston Marathon for Samaritans because even though these losses turned my life upside down exercise has catalyzed my recovery, helping me rebuild myself from the ground up while coping with these deaths. Thank you for donating to help support the work Samaritans do to prevent suicide losses from happening in the first place and help the many people like me that have had the misfortune of experiencing these sort of trauma in their life.

>> Please share on social media to help me fundraise for Samaritans <<

Feel free to leave me a message of encouragement - it will be much appreciated :)

Email maragoneses@g.harvard.edu

>> Follow my training and journey to recovery! <<

Twitter @m_aragoneses
Instagram @martin_aragoneses
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/martin.aragoneses

You can donate directly here OR you can send $ through 

Venmo @Martin-Aragoneses (write subject "Samaritans") 

I'll send the Venmoed money to GivenGain myself mentioning your name unless you express you want to remain anonymous