Shelby Birtcher's Fundraiser
I am running to Protect Kids with Epilepsy
For Our Epilepsy Warrior: Emersyn
In the summer of 2023, our world changed in an instant. Our daughter Emersyn experienced a series of complex seizure events that ultimately placed her on life support at Advocate Children's Hospital. After months of testing, we were given a diagnosis: epilepsy. It’s a word we are still learning to navigate, and a condition we are still learning so much about. For so many families like ours there are so many unanswered questions with this diagnosis.
Through this journey, we’ve discovered the critical need for education, resources, and support for families facing epilepsy. That’s why I’m running the 2025 Chicago Marathon—26.2 miles dedicated to those living with this condition, their families, and the incredible work of the Danny Did Foundation.
The Danny Did Foundation is committed to epilepsy awareness, seizure detection, and—most importantly—saving lives. Their mission is deeply personal to us, as they work to provide resources that can make a real difference for families like ours.
Your support means the world to us. Thank you for considering a donation to this cause that has become so close to our hearts.
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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 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.