“Bríd Quinn”  is a bit of a household name in the FXS community. She is a regular feature on FraXI’s newsletters, blogs, and socials because she is doing something X-traordinary: she is running 5 half-marathons in the shape of an X across Europe to raise awareness about FXS. Bríd completed her penultimate half marathon in San Sebastian, Spain, on the 12th of April. The day was already a special one – her daughter Alannah turned 13 the day before, and suddenly Bríd became the mum of a teenage girl! 

But a few minutes before the race started, something even more special happened. 

Bríd loves her photos. She documents her journey for her socials, and also for FraXI because we occasionally pester her for pictures (she always delivers). She always makes sure to take a photo before every race, her arms crossed in front of her symbolising why she is about to run non-stop for 21kilometres. On the morning of the San Sebastian race, Bríd looked around for someone to take her photo, and a girl named Phoebe volunteered. 

As Bríd stood proudly with her arms forming an “X”, Phoebe asked her from behind the camera why she was posing that way. Bríd loves being asked this question, because she gets to respond with the fact that her daughters live with Fragile X Syndrome, and that she is running for them. 

As soon as Phoebe heard this, she nearly dropped the phone. 

“Oh my gosh,” she squealed, “I have Fragile X!”

That was enough for tears to roll down Bríd’s face (this usually happens after she crosses the finish line or whenever Ireland wins a match). She and Phoebe hugged and cried some more, holding onto each other to keep themselves steady as they recovered from the beautiful impact of this coincidence. 

Out of 7300 people who were running that day, they found each other. A mother running for her daughters living with Fragile X, and another mother’s daughter, also living with Fragile X. They both knew that it was meant to be – there was always an invisible string tying them together. Rare is always meant to find rare. 

As always, FraXI is proud of Bríd for everything she is doing for our community. But today we are also proud of Phoebe and her family for allowing us to share this story. We hope that this “chance” encounter inspired both these X-traordinary families and reminds our community that we will always carry each other forwards and upwards. 

Here is what Bríd had to say about this rare encounter: 

“A 1 in 7,300 chance… and yet I met an extraordinary young woman like Phoebe at the start line of the San Sebastián Half Marathon last Sunday.

Our stars aligned. The universe smiled on us.
In a sea of runners, I found someone who truly understands, someone living with Fragile X Syndrome. And in that moment, nothing else mattered. It was a connection, pure and powerful.

As a parent, the path of Fragile X can feel so unknown.
The “what ifs” can be overwhelming…
Will they read? Write? Tie their shoelaces?
Will they drive, fall in love, travel with friends, live fully independent lives?
Your mind can race ahead of you.
But meeting Phoebe changed something in me.

Seeing her — her strength, her joy, her life — reminded me that there is so much possibility. That there is hope. That there is a future filled with beautiful, meaningful moments.

And it grounded me in why I’m doing this.
Running the X for Fragile X is not just about the miles.
It’s about awareness.
It’s about changing understanding.
It’s about creating a world where our children are seen, supported, and believed in.
And if even one moment like this can happen… then I know it’s making a difference.
Phoebe, maybe it wasn’t chance at all.

Maybe it was always meant to be.”