Dear Friends and Family –

Many of you know our family’s passion for finding a cure for epilepsy and our involvement with the MN Epilepsy foundation.  Well, the passion has turned into a mid-life bucket list check off!  I’m running a Grandma’s half marathon in June 2017 (keep in mind my longest race has been a 10K)!  But it gets better!  I’m running for a double cause - the Epilepsy Clinic and Down Syndrome Clinic at Children’s Hospital and Clinics of MN – thus I am doubling my goal from past years’ fundraising goals.  It’s been a couple years since we have taken part in a fundraiser, and Paul Marvin and Children’s’ Hospital and Clinics of MN provided the perfect challenge.   Please continue reading and I hope you are as excited as I am for this opportunity – I’m excited to raise money for two great causes, you should be excited to bet on if I can finish the race!

We've told our personal story before, but I think it’s important to briefly tell it again.  You never know when a story shared might touch a new person! Our oldest son, Travis, was diagnosed with Epilepsy 15 years ago at the age of 4.  I was diagnosed 9 years ago, at the age of 40!  The day Travis was diagnosed with epilepsy could have been the start of a dark journey.   Watching him slide into that MRI chamber and seeing the door close was like witnessing the gates of hell close.  we cried, we prayed, we blamed.  When he came out of the chamber with a smile and declared "that was easy!"  Travis, at four years old, suddenly turned that potential dark journey into a family adventure of achieving, learning, loving, caring, growing, laughing and sharing.

We are blessed and fortunate.  You may ask why?  Through our charitable involvement we have met families who are struggling to control their seizures, are facing surgeries, must deal with constantly changing medications, don’t have a strong support-network, are financially strapped because seizures have affected their ability to work, are facing mountains of medical bills, etc.  Travis, I, and our family have certainly traversed valleys during our journey. But our peaks have been so great and so momentous.  We have strengthened our faith, been wrapped in love by our family and friends, seen the true value of a workplace like Marvin that cares for its employees, and seen the power of outreach.

This brings me to the second half of this story.  Paul Marvin is on the Children’s Hospital of MN board.  His route to this board is personal.  He and his wife have a charming daughter born with Down Syndrome and an associated congenital heart defect.  Children’s Hospital and Clinics of MN has been with Paul’s family along the entire journey.  This story is personal for our family as well. 

Many of you know our good friends, the Hanisch’s, who also happen to be our youngest son Tyler’s godparents.  Their son Austin also has Down Syndrome.  Austin is our “buddy”, bandmate, Heather’s boyfriend, and our #1 Wild fan.  It is with this connection that I am also running in honor of Austin.

My audacious goal is to raise $10,000 before the race in June 2017.  50% will be donated to the Epilepsy Clinic and 50% will be donated to the Down Syndrome Clinic at Children’s Hospital of MN.

I sincerely hope you send prayers my way for a healthy training program and great race result – my goal is under 2 hours and 20 min.  I also hope you will support my race efforts with a donation that will go to support a place that many children and families count on to give them health, hope, and a future!  Remember, my goal is $10,000 and I need your help!