I am running in honor of my sister, Fallyn

Thirteen years ago, I watched my sister, Fallyn, run the Chicago Marathon for the first time. At that time, I never imagined that I would be able to do the same one day. In 2023, I started running seriously as I began a journey toward a healthier lifestyle. That year I ran a half marathon, among several other shorter races. The past couple years have been busy with home, work, and my dissertation, but I told myself that when I graduated I would gift myself with the opportunity to run the Chicago Marathon. I am finally graduating in May, so this is my year to run!

I have chosen to run for Danny Did Foundation in honor of my sister, my inspiration for running. Fallyn has battled epilepsy since she was a young child, but for a long time it seemed like she had grown out of it. Then in August 2023, she had a major seizure at home and was rushed to the hospital. Luckily my brother-in-law, Brian, was home when it happened, and he was able to immediately call 911 and begin to provide her necessary care. After many tests and a stay in the hospital, it turned out that what she had thought were panic attacks that she had been battling for the year prior were actually partial seizures that finally resulted in one major episode.

This was obviously a scary time for Fallyn, her husband, and the rest of our family. Since then she has been able to keep her seizures mostly controlled with medication, and she has never stopped running through it all. In fact, she ran the Chicago Marathon again just two months after her major seizure.

My sister is one of my heroes and is certainly my running inspiration. I am running for Danny Did Foundation in her honor and to help raise money for epilepsy care. Please join me in the fight to raise public awareness and prevent deaths caused by seizures.

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.