Wheelchair Marathoner and Patch Contributor, Dies
Jason Pisano, 40, passed away Monday night.
According to the Providence Journal, Jason Pisano, 40, of West Warwick died Monday night at Kent Hospital after suffering a choking episode last Wednesday. The episode left him without oxygen for a "significant time", causing brain damage. His family decided to remove him from a ventilator on Monday evening.
Pisano completed 52 marathons in his wheelchair, including this year's Boston Marathon on Apr. 16, a feat that took him little more than 12 hours.
Pisano, who was born with a severe form of cerebral palsy, did not let that stop him from acheiving his dreams and encouraging others to do the same.
In early 2011, his children's book "Travis Goes To School On Wheels" was published as an E-book for Amazon's Kindle device. Pisano's goal for the book was to help young people in similar situations overcome their obstacles.
Apart from his marathons, he had also spent time as a freelance reporter and contributor for several local news publications, including Coventry Patch and the Coventry Courier.
Lila E. Ritchotte
10:05 am on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
My sincere sympathy to Jason's family and caretakers. I came to know Jason many years ago. When he was reporting for the newspaper, he did an article on my sister-in-law who was a quadriplegic for many years. He and his caretaker went to her house to interview her which was in Cranston at the time. I am sure it must have been very difficult for them at that time. He interviewed her, did a great article and I could not believe that he did so much with the disability he had. Everyone that knew Jason had to be inspired by his ability to work beyond his disability and do the things he like to do the most. I am so glad that I did get to me Jason personally.
Lila Ritchotte
Coventry, RI