I am running the 2021 Chicago Marathon in memory of my brother Danny and in support of the Danny Did Foundation. Your gift will help protect kids with Epilepsy.

My older brother, Dan Rafferty, passed away as a result of SUDEP on September 14, 2017. Dan was born in Chicago on April 28, 1981, and adopted by our parents at just three days old. At 36, I am the same age that my brother was when his 14-year battle with epilepsy came to an end. I can think of no better way to honor my Danny Boy, and the gift my parents gave to my sister and me in the form of our big brother, than to run where he was born and support the Danny Did Foundation. Please help me raise $3600 to remember Dan's 36 years of life.

Before applying to Team Danny Did, I had been mulling the decision over for months. A big deterrent for me was knee surgery that I had back in September 2020. This was my second ACL reconstruction. The first was my senior year of high school. Danny was working nearby my school, and so he was the one that would pick me up and take me to physical therapy 2-3 days a week for what felt like eternity while I was recovering from my ACL. Epilepsy entered our life one day when Dan was late to pick me up for PT. I called over and over again trying to see where he was - admittedly furious because I thought my big brother had forgotten me! A paramedic picked up and said Dan had fainted at work. He hadn't fainted though; Dan had had a seizure.

One day in April, it felt like my big brother was calling to me, so I did what I have not done in seven months - I went for a run. 1.75 miles later, I visited the bench at the Fatima Shrine in Holliston, MA that bears my brother's name, as well as our sister, Kathleen. No one fought harder for Dan than Katie did, and the Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado is a powerful, impactful organization for all that she poured into it in honor of our brother. Dan and Kate always said they made me what I am, and when I felt that pull to their bench, I knew that joining this amazing organization was something that I had to do. (For the record, Dan and Kate were usually teasing me with stories of Jaws, Freddy Kreuger, and the like when they talked about making me tough, but it must have worked somehow!)

A bit about Dan... he had a gift for anything with a gear! Dan always loved cars and turned that passion into a career as a Master Mechanic. While Epilepsy prevented him from continuing to work on cars professionally, he still enjoyed activities like four wheeling and fixing up Acuras, Broncos, etc. in his driveway. Dan also loved animals and he and his wife gave a wonderful home to three dogs. Despite drinking Mountain Dew daily for decades, Dan didn't get his first cavity until he was in his 30's! My sister and I were always jealous every trip to the dentist. More than anything, Dan loved his beautiful, kind wife, Emily. They were together for 11 years, married for two, and their love served as an example to us all.

I am running 26.2 miles for my Danny, for Danny Stanton, and for all the Danny's out there. Thank you so much for your support! As our sister would say, until there's not another moment lost to seizures.

About Danny Did Foundation

Founded by Chicago parents Mike and Mariann Stanton in 2010 after the sudden death of their four-year-old son Danny, the Danny Did Foundation’s primary mission is to prevent deaths caused by seizures. The Foundation advances public awareness of epilepsy and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), strives to improve communication about SUDEP between medical professionals and families affected by seizures, and advocates for the mainstream acceptance and use of seizure detection and prediction devices that may assist in preventing seizure-related deaths.

Epilepsy affects 3.4 million people in the United States and 65 million people worldwide. One in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy during their lifetime. But what few people understand, including many people with epilepsy, is that seizures can be fatal. More people die as a result of seizures than from fires and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) combined. In addition to deaths caused by drowning, other accidents, and status epilepticus (prolonged seizures),thousands of deaths occur annually from SUDEP, a fact that is little known and too rarely addressed by medical professionals and in public discussions of epilepsy.

The Danny Did Foundation takes it's name from the last line of Danny Stanton’s obituary, written by his dad: “Please go and enjoy your life. Danny did.” We celebrate Danny’s spirit in every child and family we reach.

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