Dear Friends,
On December 2nd 2007 I will be participating in the Las Vegas Half Marathon. I will be walking this event as recent knee surgeries (due to a work related injury) have forced me to quit running. My commitment hasn't changed, only my tactics. I regret that I can no longer run the entire event but I will continue to participate with the NF Marathon Team in any role that helps us achieve our goal. My rehabilitation is going well and I have started to walk longer distances. My plan is a brief run at the start and at the finish with a steady fast walk in-between.
As I mentioned, the Las Vegas event is this December 2nd. I'd really love
it if you could come out and support our team. You could run it, walk with
me, or cheer us on to the finish line. As always, please feel free to sponsor me and/or my teammates in this event :)
Donations are 100% tax-deductible and are ALWAYS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!
I would like to thank you in advance for your time and
consideration.
Here is a recent photo of my cousin Shannon. She is my inspiration.
We’ve all heard of Cancer, we’ve all heard of Diabetes,
but most of us know nothing about NF. I was very surprised to learn
how common it is. In fact, it affects almost 2 MILLION PEOPLE worldwide.
I’ve included some NF facts and statistics below, please read them when
you can.
Neurofibromatosis (NF) is more prevalent than cystic fibrosis, hereditary
muscular dystrophy, and Huntington's disease combined. It strikes one in
every 3,500 births, and affects people of all races and ethnic origins throughout
the world. Half of all cases occur as the result of a "spontaneous genetic
mutation" in families with no history of the disorder. This means that anyone's
next child could be born with NF.
NF causes tumors to form on nerves anywhere in the body, including the brain
and spinal cord. It can lead to loss of vision and hearing, disfigurement,
loss of limbs, skeletal defects, and various forms of cancer, including juvenile
leukemia. Learning disabilities occur at a rate five to six times higher
among children with NF than those in the general population. Half of all
children with NF require special education. Many of these children also have
speech and motor deficits, or psychosocial and behavioral problems, which
require therapy. Individuals with NF have a higher incidence of stroke,
structural heart defects, hypertension and other cardiovascular complications,
which can affect even very young children.
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