Our Story-
The Gleason Family
Our Story: A Story of Never Giving Up!
(Our Son Braeden at 5 1/2 months old 2 days after surgery)
Mission Statement:
Dream...Believe...Achieve...
We make change in our communities in which we live. Whether we run for a cause, design a 5k run for charity..we are in this fight together! We make a better tomorrow through our actions today!
501c3 Operating Plan (Coming Soon)
What Lead Us To This Website?
Our two children who struggled in the initial years of life. Each child spent their early years in University Hospital in Syracuse, NY. Braeden was then seen at Johns Hopkins in Maryland. We were inspired by their fight for survival. It was a rough road. One filled with many obstacles but we found that no matter how many time you fall, you always get back up! Then two car accidents changed our lives forever. We are here to show everyone that through hard work and perseverance anything can happen.
-The Gleasons
Kaylei
In 2001, our daughter was born with a rare kidney disease. She was ill and hospitalized on three different occasions in the first year of her life. I remember spending her first Easter in the hospital. I still remember sleeping at the hospital and going to work hours later. It is a feeling I will never forget. A feeling of lost hope and nothing you can do.
At age two we were still giving Kaylei, three liquid sodium shots a day. We spent the first two years at University Hospital. Then about a month later the symptoms disappeared. Thankfully so did the bi-weeekly visits to the hospital. I felt our worries were finally over. Then along came Braeden.
Braeden
Then along comes Braeden. Braeden appeared fine at first until about 2 months; they noticed his soft spot was closed. He also had a misshapen anterior fontanel. We panicked. They mentioned surgery and we had no idea what to expect, seeing we saw cases where some children had forms of brain damage and delays even after surgery. He also had a calcium issue where he had the beginning of teeth at only 3 months old.
Braeden truly is a Godsend. He was supposed to be in the hospital for 14 days and was out on the morning of the 8th day. He really is a hard worker and today is such a wonderful little boy. The doctors recently said he won't need any more childhood surgery and may need a cosmetic surgery maybe in the late teen years. I will admit the years will burn you out after two issues like these and at times they give you issues of your own. You just have to stay true to yourself and forget about what everyone else says and at times get what support you can.
It was nice to get back to friends and family after we sold our house and everything we had to move to Maryland to get our son to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Read more about details of Braeden's initial condition at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craniosynostosis
Finishline picture at our first ever organized run to University Hospital in Syracuse,NY. The course was 26+ miles through 3000ft elevation changes. The hardest run of my life in the heat!
Please Help The Cause:
501c3 papers are in and we have our new fed tax ein! (Feb 2010) If anyone would like to help sponsor any of our events or need help in any of our service areas, call us at 315-209-5044 or by email at run_for_life@verizon.net
Thank You For Stopping By!
We would also like to thank the many doctors who helped these small wonders on the road to just sit where the rest of the kids sit! Thank you to all the family and friends that helped support us and are helping me be the driving force behind this website today.
Braeden and Kaylei Today!!!!
Kaylei Age 7 First day of school 2008 With her brother!!!
Braeden at Age 5 Finishing the 1 mile fun run on his own at the Mason & Grant
Labor Day Classic 2008! He finished .25 a mile ahead of us! He is the best!