For four years, Joe and Margo Strada poured their lives into making Unleash’d Strength Gym in Manassas a success. Their hard work was paying off as they prepared to welcome twin daughters, four weeks early, Dec. 18, 2023. The Stradas, who are parishioners of St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton, were about to face their greatest challenge.
“Our second-born twin was basically listless when she was born,” said Joe. “We were given a diagnosis that she had been without oxygen for a number of minutes and that she was going to have potentially moderate brain damage as a result.”
Baby Shiloh was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit at Inova Fairfax Hospital as Joe and Margo awaited the results of a brain scan. “We had to wait five days for the results to come back and that was a big hold-your-breath time,” said Joe. “Now we just wait.”
The first good news arrived when the brain scan showed no abnormalities, but another crisis emerged when the first-born twin, baby Sienna, came down with what appeared to be a cold.
“We didn’t think it was a big deal, she just looked pale,” said Joe. Sienna’s condition rapidly worsened and she was taken to the emergency room and later diagnosed with the RSV virus.
Sienna was admitted to the same NICU unit as her sister.
“She almost died on the emergency room table,” said Joe. “I was a mess.” Their anguish was compounded by the struggle to keep their business going. But the Stradas were soon overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from gym members.
“We were driving to the hospital every day thinking about how we were going to pay for all the medical expenses,” said Margo. “I was a little embarrassed at first to be open to help but our gym is a close-knit community. People were so kind and it was such a humbling experience to receive from them.”
Gym member and friend Jessica Vignoli had a “GoFund Me” page posted four days after the girls were born, and donations soon reached more than $23,000.
“Joe and Margo have impacted so many people’s lives and the last thing I wanted was for them to have to worry about how they were going to pay for it all, especially knowing that Joe is self-employed,” said Vignoli. “They were open on social media about how they were trusting God and praying the Surrender Novena because it was totally out of their control. And so many people in the gym responded by saying they were praying — even the people who never showed that part of themselves. It was huge to see.”
Riley Park, one of many Catholic gym members, recalled an unforgettable moment at St. Andrew’s during the Stradas’ crisis. “Every Wednesday they have Holy Hour and I walked in to see five people from the gym all praying for them,” said Park. “This isn’t a Catholic gym per se, and it’s not a preachy place, but the first thing you see when you walk in the door is the crucifix.”
After 29 agonizing days, Shiloh and Sienna were released from the hospital. Today, the twins and the gym are not only healthy, but thriving. The healing the Stradas experienced through their anguish is being returned, as their gym has become a refuge for many.
“People have told us that the gym has completely changed their lives from a physical and mental health perspective,” said Joe. “It’s humbling to know that people are entrusting you. We had a client tell one of our trainers that she was able to get out of an abusive relationship because of the confidence she found at the gym. It’s fulfilling to hear those kinds of stories.”
“We pulled through a really rough time and ended up coming out on top,” said Margo. “God had us the whole time. There’s been so many signs now throughout the six years we’ve had the gym that this is God’s will.”
