I am running to Protect Kids with Epilepsy

Thank you for considering a donation to support my 26.2 mile Chicago Marathon run dedicated to children and their families facing epilepsy.

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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.

Why I Am Running

As a Pediatric Neurology resident, I have had the distinct privilege of caring for patients with epilepsy and their families throughout my training, and I recently found out that I will be continuing my training with a Pediatric Epilepsy fellowship. Some of my most rewarding patient encounters have occurred when I needed to explain the pathophysiology of seizures and the prognosis of epilepsy to children and their parents in a way that they could comprehend. Interpreting a neurologic illness such as epilepsy in the context of a child's life can be difficult, but I have witnessed how critical it is to not only help patients and their families cope with a new diagnosis, but to also empower them.

I decided to join Team Danny Did because was inspired by the Stanton family’s story. Their mission to help raise awareness for epilepsy and the complications that come along with it, particularly SUDEP, is incredibly powerful. As a future epileptologist, it’s a mission that I find so important. Thank you so much for your consideration!