After 2 years, 13 events, and countless hours of training...
...The Ironman Texas is just a month away. I can't belive it. I have come a long way from an overweight smoker who could barely run 140.6 yards without losing my breath. Now I will be doing 140.6 miles. It has been a very long and hard journey for my family, and to know that it is so close just floors me. I am very excited but nervous at the same time. I want to thank the handful of supporters that have helped up raise nearly $2,200 of the $25,000 needed to start the research at Shawn's Anomaly either through myself or the other athletes: Amy Mullen and Garrett Oakley. Your support means a lot. As you can tell however, we still have a very long way from reaching our goal.
Modern medicine does not have a definitive answer to this issue and many children and families are sufferning. This sobering fact should call all of us to action to prevent another family from ever going these heart wrenching moments again. I know that times are tough, but even if all of the people receiving this email just donated $15 and told two other friends that donated $15, we could reach our goal in one day. Please don't think that someone else is donating to this and your donation is not important. I can tell you by experience that the research fund has only received donations from about 15 people total between all three athletes. Please donate today.
Rachel and I started our crusade to do whatever we could to prevent another family from going through what we did with Shawn without education, hope and help. We joined with Texas Children’s Hospital to start raising money for a medical research fund to continue the studies that Dr. Cisek started with Shawn. In June of 2011, the Shawn’s Anomaly Foundation (www.shawnsanomaly.org) was formed, in honor of Shawn's recovery, to help families dealing with congenital anomalies.
Modern medicine does not have a definitive answer to this issue and many children and families are sufferning. This sobering fact should call all of us to action to prevent another family from ever going these heart wrenching moments again. I know that times are tough, but even if all of the people receiving this email just donated $15 and told two other friends that donated $15, we could reach our goal in one day. Please don't think that someone else is donating to this and your donation is not important. I can tell you by experience that the research fund has only received donations from about 15 people total between all three athletes. Please donate today.
Rachel and I started our crusade to do whatever we could to prevent another family from going through what we did with Shawn without education, hope and help. We joined with Texas Children’s Hospital to start raising money for a medical research fund to continue the studies that Dr. Cisek started with Shawn. In June of 2011, the Shawn’s Anomaly Foundation (www.shawnsanomaly.org) was formed, in honor of Shawn's recovery, to help families dealing with congenital anomalies.
After witnessing my son's determinination to live through his three surgeries, he inspired me to try and overcome something I considered impossible: Becoming An Ironman Triathlete
I decided to use my journey to raise money for the medical research at Texas Children's Hospital and Shawn's Anomaly. The Ironman Foundation joined with me to set a fundraising page up for the Ironman Texas where I plan to complete the 140.6 miles. It has taken two years of training, but I am confident that I will overcome the impossible, and go from couch potato to Ironman . This reasearch is the only one of it kind in the world, and it will dramatically aid in other families from ever having to go through what we did. Here is how you can help:
1. Please give a donation to the medical research (every dollar counts)
2. Spread the word about what we are doing to your friends and family (The more people know the more we can help those families affected)
3. Come support me at the Ironman Texas in The Woodlands on May 19th. The Shawn's Anomaly Tent will be at the race.
4. Tune in for how you can vote to get me to the Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI on the Shawn's Ironman Blog
