I run for Jackson McDowell

On October 12th I will run the Chicago Marathon (again) and raise funds for the Danny Did Foundation (https://www.dannydid.org/). Danny Stanton died in 2009 from SUDEP, or "sudden unexpected death from epilepsy," a complication all epileptics face.

This year our 20-year-old daughter Elisabeth will join me in running and fundraising.

Epilepsy is personal for my wife Julie and me. Our 22-year-old son Jackson had his first seizure at 16, with no prior issues. He began taking anti-seizure medication and was fine until 10 days before he left for college. He’s been on a rollercoaster ever since. In September 2021, after 18 months of extensive testing, Jackson underwent laser brain surgery at Mayo Clinic for his drug-resistant epilepsy. He still struggles, but the surgery has made a big difference and allowed him to greatly reduce his dosage of epilepsy drugs which caused debilitating side effects like OCD and paranoia. Now he is back at college, doing great academically and socially, and regaining his independence.

We’ve found resources to be frighteningly limited because epilepsy is different for every patient and is often socially misunderstood. So I want to fundraise to help others in their epilepsy journey.

Funds raised for the Danny Did Foundation provide resources for their continuing work in research, education, advocacy, and assistance for families like mine affected by epilepsy. Their mission depends on the support of donors like you.

Can you help me raise my goal of $2000?

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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. Danny Did Foundation takes its 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.