I am running a Marathon in support of the Danny Did Foundation. Your gift will help protect kids with Epilepsy.

Dear Friends and Family:

This year, I will be running the 2019 Chicago Marathon in October for the Danny Did Foundation. My son Jonathan and I ran the 2017 Chicago Marathon for Danny Did, but this year he will be cheering me as a spectator. In April 2019, Jonathan was hospitalized in Rush's ICU for almost a month due to his epilepsy. Jonathan had over 15 seizures over three days, it was a very scary time for all of us as we didn't know if Jonathan would wake up and what kind of damage the seizures caused to his brain. As I sat at his bedside and stared at my child lying helplessly in his hospital bed, I asked myself "if I wasn't there to get Jonathan medical treatment, would I be sitting here today?". Jonathan woke up after 3 weeks in ICU and received intense out-patient therapy for Speech, Occupation and Physical therapy for 3 months/4 hours per day. Today, Jonathan is healthy, strong, lively and looking forward to heading to his first year of College! Life is more than good!

Epilepsy is scary it's the unknown of when will the next seizure occur and will someone be there to get him medical treatment. My hope is that one day we find a cure for Epilepsy. Until that day becomes reality, we need to not only protect those with Epilepsy but inform others on seizure medical devices and educate people on what to do if someone is having a seizure. The medical seizure devices alert family members that a seizure is happening so that medical attention is given right away.

Throughout this journey with Jonathan I feel that we need to give back more than ever and one way to do that is helping families that cannot afford these medical devices, which is exactly what the Danny Did Foundation is all about! The Danny Did Foundation is about improving communication about SUDEP (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy) and advocating the mainstream use of seizure detection devices.

I came across the Danny Did Foundation about a three years ago on Facebook and the Stanton's story will forever hold a place in my heart. Their son Danny passed away from a seizure. I read the story they told on Facebook about Danny and the life he embraced. Danny so reminded me of Jonathan at that age. Their Story really resonated with me as my biggest fear is losing my son to epilepsy. The Stanton Family inspires us as they live on through Danny and they have created this amazing foundation that helps other families struggling with this condition.

Help us by donating so that we can help save lives!!!

Thank you in advance,

Gina & Jonathan

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:

https://www.dannydid.org/