Giving back comes naturally to Daniel Paparelli, Nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. Born and raised in Queens, he knew from a young age that helping others was his calling. This compassion would lead him not only to transform lives through healthcare but also to join Team NYP in support of comprehensive, compassionate care.
“The most rewarding part of the fundraising process has been seeing how many people believe in the mission and are willing to support it so generously,” Daniel offers. “It’s been incredibly meaningful to feel that sense of community and shared purpose behind every donation.”
As a native New Yorker, Daniel had been familiar with NewYork-Presbyterian for years. “It’s always been like the gold standard, the hallmark example of top-of-the-line care ... there was no other option in my mind of where to work.” Beginning his career at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Daniel was fascinated by critical care. “Understanding the whys behind interventions is really, really cool to me—knowing how things work, the pathophysiology of it, is like my favorite part. No two people are the same; what works for someone won’t work for someone else.”
The intricate nature of critical care and the interconnected nuances of children’s health would drive Daniel to immerse himself in the care of our youngest patients. “One thing I really admire about the NYP team is the way they show up for people on their hardest days, with compassion, skill, and unwavering dedication.” This powerful commitment to patient care and community inspires Daniel, but his teammates aren’t the only source. He is often awed by the strength and courage of many of the patients they care for. “Watching the recoveries, a lot of times children are more resilient than adults—as well as the families who are sometimes devastated when things happen—watching them get better and make huge strides is most rewarding.” Having never been much of a runner before, a chance encounter with a patient who had to relearn how to walk would further inspire Daniel to take on the TCS New York City Marathon as a personal challenge and a kinetic way to give back.
“The thought of running a marathon to me was this overwhelming thing I thought I could never achieve,” he admits. “Once I had a patient that had to learn to walk from scratch after being in a massive car accident, and was able to walk before leaving the ICU—and I think that flipped a switch in my mind that if they can learn to walk from the beginning I can do something—achieve something I never thought I could do, in recognition of the strides these kids make every day.” Devoted to our patients and driven by purpose, Daniel committed himself fully to preparing for the marathon, fitting training into his busy schedule whenever he could. “Training and running for Team NYP has deepened my relationships with family and friends by showing me how much their support truly carries me through challenging goals,” he says. “It’s brought us closer and given a purpose behind why I run.”
Preparation for the marathon would take an unexpected turn in July, a few months before the November marathon date, when Daniel would break his foot and experience temporarily limited mobility. With the marathon steadily approaching, he had to manage healing, work, and training—all while trying not to worsen his injury. Despite this, Daniel was undeterred: After a period of trial and error, he was able to train twice as hard as before. “Everyone was like, you should not do it ... you had done it last year, you have to let your foot heal,” Daniel laughs. “But I feel like I’m so stubborn and so headstrong, I had set my mind to something, and I was already raising money, so I had to finish it.” At the start of his journey, Daniel was training four times a week. Following his injury, Daniel increased his training to six times a week.
Daniel’s perseverance would pay off, as he raised over $3,000 for state-of-the-art, patient-centered care. “I think I learned more about how things matter, but also how things don’t matter at the same time,” Daniel says, reflecting on his experience. “It’s important to let go sometimes. Reality is a mirror, and every external experience is a reflection of how you feel inside. I think changing my perspective and mindset was really important for me.” His foot now fully healed, Daniel looks forward to contributing to Team NYP again in the future.