In 2003 I lost my sister to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, a fancy way to say they had no idea what happened and could find no medical cause for her death. One minute she was a lively (very lively!) 16 year old, the next she was gone, and we will never know what happened. Not having a reason, something or someone to blame has been hard, but harder still is the realization that this happens everyday to hundreds and thousands of other families around the world. 

For the second year this non-runner is pounding the pavement in the Honolulu Marathon, and this year my cause is the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation. Sudden arrhythmia death syndromes (SADS) are genetic heart conditions that can cause sudden death in young, apparently healthy people, and is likely to have been the cause of my sisters death. Through research and awareness new, treatable, heart conditions have been found, stopping many more families going through what we went through. 

The SADS Foundation is dedicated to informing the general public (and families, medical professionals), about the effects of untreated/undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmias and the methods by which death can be prevented. Through comprehensive awareness programs, the SADS Foundation hopes to prevent additional tragedies that can be avoided through early detection and proper treatment.

So please consider donating to this fantastic cause, my target is $285 - that's $1 for every mile in training I have to do between today (11th October) and the marathon (12th December) - so a $1 donation buys you a mile of my pain!

Whether you donate or not, please consider spreading the word about the SADS Foundation - the more people know, the more we can do to prevent these deaths in the future. 

Many thanks for your support!