Carrie Terlecky's Fundraiser
Please support my Marathon for the Epilepsy Foundation - Danny Did
To kick off another marathon training cycle, I would like to share that I will be running the 2024 Chicago Marathon and have set a fundraising goal of $2,000 to support the Epilepsy Foundation - Danny Did.
In 2022, I raised double my fundraising goal in honor of my mom, Karen Terlecky and her ongoing battle with epilepsy. 10 days after completing the 2022 Chicago Marathon, both my mom and my sister were in separate hospitals, both having suffered unrelated seizures. Having been familiar with my mom's battle with epilepsy, we were completely blindsided to find out at the age of 35, my sister had an undiagnosed subdural hematoma condition where the only permanent cure is brain surgery.
After fundraising for both my mom and my sister in 2023, I am sadden to add another close friend who I will be fundraising for this year. Undiagnosed epilepsy is sadly becoming more prevalent, especially in young healthy adults. I am truly grateful and honored to be able to raise money and run 26.2 miles all in an effort to bring more awareness to this disease. It's more personal than ever for me. Your donation consideration is truly appreciated.
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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.