I am running my 2nd Chicago Marathon in support of the Danny Did Foundation!

What started off as a bucket list item - completing the Chicago Marathon in 2017 - has easily became one of my proudest accomplishments on both a physical and mental level. The culmination of a journey that lasted 18 weeks of training, and taught me a lot more about myself than just about anything I’ve ever done in my life. The amount of support runners get from spectators at the Chicago Marathon is absolutely incredible, with nearly two million people lined up along the race course to cheer you on. One of the absolute best parts about running the Chicago Marathon is that it takes you through the entire city, allowing you to see it in a way you’ve never really seen or appreciated it before, even if you’re a local. From Wrigley to Old Town to Pilsen, the marathon course itself serves as a reminder of why Chicago truly is beautiful. Was it worth it? Absolutely. The sense of accomplishment you feel after running that far is something that’s difficult to put into words.

Running the marathon in my hometown and having the support of the entire city was something I’ve never experienced before. Training for this changed my life for the better in so many ways that I can’t begin to list them all. I’m a better person because of it and most importantly, I raised more than $1,000 to help the PAWS shelter in Chicago. It was worth every 5AM morning training run, every single mile, every single ache and pain. It was all absolutely worth it. And since finishing, I have contemplated running another on more than one occasion. And what better moment than the present to chase after your goals.

This will be my second marathon and I couldn't be more excited to help a great cause like the Danny Did Foundation! Even better, I will be running the marathon alongside one of my current students, who is also a raising money and running on behalf of the Danny Did Foundation. Knowing I will be running 26.2 alongside on of my students and raising money for a great cause, I am even more excited to complete my second marathon this year.

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 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.