Team Danny Did in the 2018 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

This fall, I will be running the Chicago marathon to raise money for the Danny Did Foundation. Danny Did Foundation does remarkable work to advance the awareness of epilepsy and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

I still vividly remember the heartbreaking news stealing my breath away on that horrible morning in 2009 when Danny died. We did not yet know the Stantons personally then but the entire neighborhood felt the loss. The tragedy of losing a child is unimaginable. In the years since, our sons, Tommy W. and Tommy S., have brought our two families together. We are blessed to call Mariann and Mike dear friends and we are inspired by their journey, though we wish every day that they did not have to go through it. The Danny Did Foundation was courageously created to help prevent other families from having to know the pain of that loss.

So, I run to...

...celebrate Danny's life,

...honor Danny's memory,

...show my love for the entire Stanton family,

...raise awareness of epilepsy and SUDEP,

...help assuage the fear and stop the suffering of millions of families who face seizures.

Please join me in supporting this important cause. Whatever donation you can make, big or small, goes towards saving a life. Go Team Danny Did!

With infinite love and gratitude,

Kim

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."