To a husband, the news of his wife’s pregnancy invariably brings fantasies of his child’s eventual achievements.  It is impossible to not imagine what great things he may accomplish, what his friends will be like, the conversations they will have.  But all those expectations change once the parents first hear a diagnosis of “Autism”.

According to a (U.S.) Federal survey, one in 150 children is diagnosed with a form of Autism, which means that 560,000 American children are afflicted with this neurological disorder.  That also means that over a million American adults have had to watch their kids struggle to help themselves.

At around the age of two, Autistic children begin to lose their ability to communicate effectively, to make eye contact, find it difficult control their emotions or to avoid repeating some behaviors.  In more extreme cases , they have trouble processing some sensory data, recognizing or giving affection or even speaking.  To others, they appear to act oddly, being unnaturally concerned with their collections of objects, seeming socially maladapted and thereby generally undesirable as friends.  But in fact, these kids just don’t understand the subtle unspoken rules of socialization and often become "outsiders".

My wife and I had two years of absolute bliss, before my son Julien was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, a “high functioning” type of Autism.  Today, he struggles to follow directions from his parents and teachers, has emotional outbursts that frighten those around him, exhibits compulsive behaviors (toothbrushing is an intricate process that can’t be altered), repeats strange sounds, has trouble coordinating some movements and everyday sits alone on the swing during recess.  I love him like I’ve never loved another human being but I still remember the day that the diagnoses was handed to us, the day we knew for sure that it was not a temporary condition, as being quite a shock.  That was the day our learning started in earnest.

I’m going to raise $50,000 for the organization that I believe can best help him lead an integrated life, the Developmental Medicine Center (DMC) at the Childrens Hospital Boston.  I’ve met parents of children like Julien who speak of the doctors at the DMC as if they were miracle workers because of the evaluations and treatments they’ve provided.   This probably explains the 9 month waiting list to see a doctor at the DMC.

In addition to the services they provide the public, the DMC is conducting research to find the causes of Autism.  Specifically, the DMC is examining basic hypotheses generated by clinical observations of the behavior of children with developmental disabilities and are creating a database of physical and behavioral characteristics of children with autism to match against genetic arrays.  This is difficult work that requires many resources, and I want their scientists to have all they need.

Perhaps, just perhaps, the money I raise will help other parents diagnose their child more quickly, treat them more effectively and optimize the various treatments so their child leads a more productive integrated life.

So, in 2007, I will run ten Half Marathons between May and December.  If we reach the $50,000 goal by October 1, I will even run the Bay State Marathon, my first 26.2 mile race, instead of the Half Marathon.  You can read about my progress, list of "offline donors" who contributed by check, plan for raising this large sum and more about my motivation here: http://dmcrun.wordpress.com .

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure.  It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.  However, this web site charges a portion (over 7%) of your donation for the service they provide, so if you want ALL of your donation to go to the hospital, you can mail me a check, made to the Children's Hospital Boston, at   

                            Run for the DMC

                            P.O. Box 812271

                            Wellesley Square, MA  02482-0016

All donations are tax deductible, whether made online or by check, and you will receive a confirmation of your generosity.  Remember, even a $10 donation is extremely valuable.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward my email appeal to anyone that you think might want to donate too, as this is the second most powerful thing you can do to help my cause, the first being to make that all important donation!

List of Half Marathons Planned

....................5/27/07 ............... Boston's Run to Remember, (Boston, MA)

................... 6/3/07 ................. Covered Bridges Half Marathon (Quechee, VT)

................... 8/5/07.................  NYC Half Marathon (NY, NY)

................... 8/25/07...............  CHaD Half Marathon (Etna NH)

................... 9/02/07................ Swanzey Covered Bridges Half (Swanzey, NH) 

................... 9/29/07 ............... Wicked Half Marathon (Salem, MA)

..................  10/7/07................ BAA Half Marathon (Boston, MA) 

................... 10/14/07.............. Bay State Half (Lowell, MA)

................... 11/04/07 ............. Manchester City Half (Manchester, NH)

................... 11/11/07.............. Seacoast Half (Portsmouth, NH)

................... 12/29/07 ............. Florida Half Marathon (Clermont, FL)

The races listed in dark blue above were completed successfully.  Click on the hyperlink for more details.