One mother’s journey to raise awareness for CMV
Photo by Jamie Plain
In the heart of every marathon runner lies a story of perseverance, purpose, and passion. For Madison Wells, an elementary music teacher at Sutton Elementary, the upcoming New York City Marathon in November is more than just a race—it’s a heartfelt tribute to her late daughter, Ruth, and a mission to shine a spotlight on a little-known but devastating virus: congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV). A wife to James, and a mother to 4-year-old Nora, Madison is determined to make a difference.
“Ruth’s fight really began before she was born,” Madison said. “Diagnosed at 21 weeks with Congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus), we were told it was doubtful that a birth would even happen. Honestly, we grieved before she was born, but the heartbeat remained.”
Ruth had other plans.
Born on Friday, October 13, 2023, at 34 weeks, Ruth would spend 84 days in the NICU at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Her stay would prove to be a journey full of ups and downs, but she continued to fight and surprise everyone with her resilience, her strength, and her will to live.
“She was truly a miracle! We are eternally grateful for that,” Madison said.
While Ruth spent a significant amount of time in the hospital, she did have several months at home where she was spoiled with love and attention from her family, especially her big sister, Nora.
“Once she arrived home, we leaned on family to keep things as routine as possible for Nora,” Madison said. “Our family and friends were truly a lifeline through the diagnosis and beyond. It took a village.”
After an extended hospital stay, Ruth’s health began to quickly decline and she lost her fight with CMV on June 3, 2024, at 7.5 months old.
“We are determined to keep Ruth’s legacy alive,” Madison said. “We had 7 ½ beautiful months with her.”
The idea to run the New York City Marathon started out as a dream but has come to fruition with the help of Madison’s “running friends circle.” She credits a tight knit group of friends from Cravens Elementary as the inspiration to pursue her dream. As a result of that vision, Madison will be running the 2025 New York City Marathon as a charity runner for the National CMV Foundation.
“They sprang into action early,’ Madison said. “They were ‘all in’ without hesitation, and have been the driving force behind so much of this.”
Madison was selected to be a participant in the race in February 2025, and opted to begin her quest to advocate and spread awareness about CMV while fundraising.
CMV is found in 1 out of 200 babies and weakens the immune system. If a pregnant woman contracts CMV, the virus can cross the placenta and infect the fetus. Only roughly 9% of women have heard of CMV and screening for the virus is not routine.
“So many pregnant mothers are unaware of the dangers of this virus,” Madison said. “I hope to change that.”
In honor of Ruth’s memory while embracing her own healing journey, Madison has set a goal of raising $5,000 in support of CMV research in preparation for the NYC Marathon. She, along with her team, have set up a Facebook page to further promote awareness and spread the word about upcoming events related to her mission.
A local 5K is set to take place on June 14, 2025 called “Strides4CMV – Running for Ruth.” The Memorial 5K Run/Walk is in partnership with Strides 4 CMV during CMV awareness month. They hope to raise awareness and critical funds to support CMV research, education, and prevention efforts.
Running a marathon after losing an infant is a profound journey—one that intertwines grief, healing, and resilience. While the path is deeply personal to Madison, it is also a testament to her strength.
“All of this is to further honor her legacy and spirit,” Madison said. “That’s the goal. That’s our purpose.”
For more information on the “Strides4CMV Running for Ruth 5K” visit their page on social media. To make a donation to the National CMV Foundation, Inc visit nationalcmv.org.