I am running 26.2 miles in honor of Megan Dickie

Dear friends, family, colleagues, and philanthropic strangers:

In mid-March, my whole life was flipped upside down when I learned that my best friend had died suddenly and unexpectedly from a seizure. My heart was broken; my spirit numb. I was not entirely sure how I was going to move forward without my most trusted confidante by my side. Megan had suffered from epilepsy since childhood, although never let it stop her from living an adventurous life. Megan was empathetic, sincere, warm-hearted, and a force of nature. We met in law school about 9 years ago and became attached at the hip almost immediately. Although we did not live in the same place for many years, our relationship and the wavelength we shared only got stronger as time went on.

Megan was a dedicated advocate for the environment and if there were ever a person for whom the phrase "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" was meant, it was Megan. So I am running the 2017 Chicago Marathon on behalf of Danny Did in Megan's honor. It was Megan who taught me how to love running to begin with and it was Megan who taught me how to persevere no matter how devastating the circumstances. I had never heard of SUDEP until I learned about it the worst way I could - through Megan's death - and now I want nothing more than to raise awareness and funds to help prevent more deaths caused by seizure. It is all the more fitting that the marathon is in Megan's hometown and that racing was just one of many things we did together.

This will be my third marathon, but by far the most meaningful, as I will be running not just for myself, but for Megan and for all of those suffering from epilepsy or the grief of losing their loved ones to epilepsy. I am seeking to raise a minimum of $5,000 before race date - October 8, 2017. I hope you will support me in this cause; the funds raised will go toward helping advance the goals and mission of Danny Did.

With a wide-open heart,

Betsy

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 impacted 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 nearly 3 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 impacted by the disorder, is that seizures can be fatal. More people die as a result of seizures than from fires and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) combined. The causes of death can vary and include drowning, other accidents and status epilepticus (prolonged seizures). In addition, thousands of deaths occur annually from SUDEP, a fact that is little known and too rarely addressed in public and in medical circles. The name of the Danny Did Foundation originates from the last line of Danny Stanton's obituary, written by his dad: "Please go and enjoy your life. Danny did."