It was seven years ago this June when we got a panicked call in the middle of the day at work that Ronan had collapsed and been unconscious for over five minutes and was now in the ambulance on the way to the hospital with his grandma. That was the first time as a parent that I felt totally out of control. Willing the car to go faster to get to him from the other side of town, my mind went in a thousand different directions. We left the epilepsy unit at Children's a few days later finally with some answers and a treatment plan. I had been suspecting something was wrong for months, but up until that point, I was the only one seeing it. Having the diagnosis was a first step but then the worry really set in - how could we leave him with anyone else not knowing what might happen and if he would be okay? Eventually life required that we had to though, and that is when I happened across this walk and registered our first official Ronan's Rebel team, to distract myself even just a tiny bit from the worry and to regain some feeling of control for him and for me.
Since that day we walked out of the hospital and that first walk, lots of other scary or difficult diagnoses have followed - a congenital hernia in his brain that will be monitored for the rest of his life, autism, dyslexia, severe anxiety and OCD, and some days (and months) are harder than others. It's now been seven years since that first walk, and every year it comes up right at the point where it all feels like it is boiling over and where I'm feeling that sense of being out of control over his safety or health creep in, especially at the start of a new school year. And this walk pulls me out of that dark spot every time and reminds me of how far Ronan and our family has come. Ronan is truly a shining example of perseverance, courage, and being true to oneself.Â
The excitement of seeing Ronan, normally the quiet one in a group, lead the charge that day and watching the money we raise to help other families starting out on this same path, by offering resources, education and so many other great services, drives me to try once again to exceed the efforts from the year before. The greatest joy though is seeing so many of our friends and family support Ronan and our family either in person as a Rebel walking by our side that day, through encouraging words, or through their generous donations to our team.
We have now raised almost $15,500 and for this seventh year, I have set our goal at an admittedly lofty $5,000 because to hit a grand total of $20,000 would truly be amazing. One in 10 people will have a seizure in their lifetime, and one in 26 will develop epilepsy. The Walk to End Epilepsy supports ending the silence, ending the isolation, and ending the stigma, while raising vital funds to support EFMN resources and services.
This year the walk is going to look a little different because of coronavirus, and it will be a virtual walk. We invite whoever wants to join us as we walk (six feet apart!) through our Saint Paul neighborhood on the morning of Saturday, October 3rd, and for those unable to join our walk to walk in their own neighborhoods with us at the same time. There will be an online opening and closing ceremony. Weather permitting, we will be having a bbq at a neighborhood park to allow for space to spread out afterwards as a thank you for all our supporters.
Please join our team whether you want to walk in your own neighborhood or with us, and at the end, we will assemble a "team photo" of everyone near and far! We are looking for a sponsor to help us purchase additional team shirts, for new team members and for our many little Rebels who have outgrown theirs over the years. Please let me know if you are interested in supporting the team in this way!
Finally, we of course encourage you to donate to this great cause and help us meet our goal of $5,000 and to share the information by word of mouth, social media and your own participation.Â
As always, go Ronan's Rebels!! #TeamRonanRebels
Leave a Message for the OG Rebel - Ronan!