I am running to Protect Kids with Epilepsy

Hi everyone! Welcome to my fundraising page for the 2026 Chicago Marathon!

My name is John Hlavin, and I am so excited to be running my first marathon in support of the Danny Did Foundation! I first learned about this great cause in high school when I had the opportunity to volunteer for the Hustle and Heart Basketball Clinics. The infectious spirit of everyone involved in these clinics deeply impacted me, and this mission has remained with me ever since. Now, as a medical student, I look forward to learning more about epilepsy and SUDEP and to helping close gaps in seizure-related care. My hope is that no person or parent affected by epilepsy will have to live in fear of the unexpected.

Thank you for supporting the Danny Did Foundation and for helping to raise awareness of epilepsy and SUDEP! If you have the time, please consider reading more about the Danny Did Foundation and their mission below!

-- John

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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.