I am running to Protect Kids with Epilepsy

This year, I’m running the Chicago Marathon to support the Danny Did Foundation—an organization whose work has become personally meaningful to me. Through my fiancée’s experience as a PA on a neurology floor, I’ve seen how disruptive and frightening seizures can be for patients and their families. It’s opened my eyes to how much uncertainty families live with, and how important it is to have resources, support, and people fighting to make epilepsy safer.

What stands out most to me about Danny Did is their commitment to providing families with tools and knowledge that offer not just protection, but peace of mind. Their focus on practical, lifesaving support fills a gap that most people don’t even realize exists. Knowing that there are parents out there who sleep better at night because of the Foundation’s work makes every mile of training feel meaningful.

I’m running to honor those families who are navigating fear, hope, and resilience every day and to help make sure more of them get access to the support they deserve. Your contribution, no matter the size, directly helps protect kids and empowers parents who are doing everything they can to keep their children safe.

Thank you for supporting my run and, more importantly, the incredible families and kids the Danny Did Foundation serves.

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.