I am so honored to be raising money again for The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs! This year I will be running for Sawyer Collins. Sawyer is hearing-impaired, like both of my boys, and just received his cochlear implants this summer. He is 15 months old, and was diagnosed with Leukodystrophy. He has a big brother, Grayson, and loves peanut butter sandwiches, hanging upside-down, and playing with his mom and dad's cell phone!
Every year I think to myself, should I continue to ask for donations for The Bell Center? But then the school year starts up again and I think, how can I not? The need is always there for this incredible place, where children from the ages of birth to 3 receive Early Intervention services (speech, physical therapy, occupational therapy), despite whatever diagnosis they have received. The Bell Center operates solely on private donations, and whatever small tuition the families pay.
Also every year, it so happens that I have a connection to a child, for whom I want to run the Mercedes Marathon (or Half-Marathon). This year it is Sawyer Collins. I first met Sawyer's dad, Ron, at Publix last fall. He saw the boys as they were bouncing off the walls of the grocery store, and introduced himself. Sawyer had just been diagnosed as a newborn as hearing-impaired. He saw my boys with their cochlear implants, and wanted to know about our experience. Later that fall, I met Sawyer's mom Mischa at a picnic for hearing-impaired families. I was happy to keep up with them from time to time as Sawyer awaited his implantation.
Then this spring Mischa told me that Sawyer had been diagnosed with Leukodystrophy, a progressive degeneration of the white matter of the brain due to imperfect growth or development of the myelin sheath (from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Leukodystrophy Information page). He started at The Bell Center in June of this year. I am honored to be running the Mercedes Marathon in February, 2011 for Sawyer and The Bell Center!
The events of last year changed my life! Working with and running the marathon for Lilly Mooresmith, the support you all gave me and the Bell Center, and watching John adapt to his cochlear implants while Lisa Mooresmith's student- words cannot descibe what a profound experience that was! I truly know it was God's plan! (And just a quick update on the amazing children I have run for- Adele Brandrup just started kindergarten at Shades Cahaba with Will (no feeding tube anymore, and she cues and talks with her electronic pink talker), Sally Miller was just featured in an ad campaign for Children's Hospital, and Lilly is ruling the universe!)
Thank you for visiting my Personal Fundraising Page. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to our fundraising efforts. Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!