I am running to Protect Kids with Epilepsy

Hello, my name is Israel Lujan. Thank you for visiting my fundraising page for The Danny Did Foundation.

For the remainder of this year (2024) and next year (2025) I’m participating in and running The Chicago Marathon, Denver’s Colfax Half-Marathon and Colorado’s Lory Exterra Triathlon for Team Danny Did to raise funds, and awareness for epilepsy, and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. (SUDEP)

But most importantly, I’m running these marathons and triathlons to honor my beautiful son, Zane.

This cause is very important and personal to me, as Zane suffered from severe epilepsy from birth during his short, and beautiful life. Zane was 15 years old when he passed away, and had multiple disabilities from Cerebral Palsy, including seizures.

Like most families that have children suffering from seizures, it is my goal to raise awareness of SUDEP, and foundations like the amazing Danny Did Foundation that helped, and continue to help families like myself.

I am forever grateful to The Danny Did Foundation, and Tom Stanton, as they helped me acquire a seizure detection unit called EMFIT for Zane nearly 10 years ago while he was alive.

I would be honored if you would consider donating to our team, and help The Danny Did Foundation support their goals of bettering education regarding SUDEP, and mainstream seizure detection devices to assist with preventing seizure related deaths.

I humbly thank you for your support, and consideration.

Always With Love,

Israel

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 Foundations 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.