The TTTS Foundation

In 1994, my parents Mark and Joy Salberg were expecting twins. They did everything that they knew to do to prepare for their new babies, and they were really excited. At the 30 week ultrasound, the doctor said that everything looked completely fine. Less than a week later, my mom started feeling unwell. She went in for a doctor's appointment, and they could only find one heartbeat. The babies were diagnosed with an acute form of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) that took the life of our sister Ryanna before our parents even understood what that meant. The babies, Rachel and Ryanna were delivered at 31 weeks and our parents were greeted with the bittersweet event of gaining one daughter and losing the other.

Throughout the years that my sister Rachel and I were growing up, our parents kept Ryanna's memory alive in our family. We talked about Ryanna all the time. During birthdays and Christmases we decorate Ryanna's gravesite. There are little things that we do to honor Ryanna day-to-day which has allowed us to maintain a deep connection with our sister. She inspires us to live our best lives and we feel her spirit present with us all the time.

Now, my sister Rachel and her husband Mike are pregnant and expecting the addition of a baby girl in August. We are thrilled about this and ready to welcome her into our family.

Our hope is to also raise awareness about TTTS and also involve others in learning more about how this still affects families today. With this, my hope is to work with the TTTS Foundation to raise funds to support families affected by TTTS.

On July 26th, I’ll be running the Burning River 100-mile race in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio — and I’m dedicating every mile to raising awareness and support for families impacted by twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).

TTTS is a serious, life-threatening disease that still affects many families today, pregnant with multiples, and too often, they face it with limited resources or understanding. That’s why I’m partnering with The TTTS Foundation to raise both funds and awareness, helping ensure that families get the support, information, and care they need during such a difficult time.

If you’d like to support this effort, there are two ways to get involved:

Make a one-time donation of any amount — every contribution helps!

Make it fun and motivating by pledging a donation per mile I complete. For example:

$0.01/mile = $1 if I complete all 100 miles

$0.10/mile = $10

$0.50/mile = $50

Just comment your pledge, and after the race I’ll send an update on how far I made it and a reminder to donate your pledged amount.

Our goal is not only to raise funds, but to help more people learn about TTTS, its impact, and the support available through The TTTS Foundation.

Thank you for your support, encouragement, and generosity. Your donations directly help provide resources and support to families navigating the challenges of TTTS — something no one should have to face alone.

Thank you for cheering me on, and more importantly, for standing with these families. Let’s go the distance together!