(Our Son Braeden at 5 1/2 months old 2 days after surgery)


Mission Statement:

Serving Cayuga County and the surrounding area.  Setting up healthy events for the community in which we serve.  We help fight child obesity, bring child friendly events and help local charities through our events.

Group Slogan: 

Dream…Believe…Achieve…

Group Motto:

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!

Our Story-Vin’s Inspiration

 

Kaylei

In 2001, our daughter, Kaylei, 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, like there’s 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-weekly visits to the hospital. I felt our worries were finally over. Then along came Braeden…

Braeden

In 2003, our son, Breaden, appeared fine at first, until he was about two months old; they noticed his soft spot was closed. He also had a misshapen anterior fontanel. We panicked! They mentioned surgery, but we had no idea what to expect seeing that they saw cases where some children had forms of brain damage and delays even after surgery. Braeden also had a calcium issue where he had the beginning of teeth at only three months old. Braeden is truly a Godsend. He was supposed to be in the hospital for fourteen days and was out on the morning of the eighth day! He really is a hard worker, and today he is such a wonderful little boy. The doctors recently said he won't need any more childhood surgery, yet he may need a cosmetic surgery in his 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, forget about what everyone else says and at times, and 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 Braeden’s treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. If you’re interested, you can read more about details of Braeden's initial condition at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craniosynostosis

To the Future

Everything in a Pair

by: Vin Gleason

I look back at the last ten years
We’ve managed with much despair
Every hand that’s been dealt
Has been laid in a pair

It all started with our kids
Both with many hospital years
Moving and surgeries
A decade spent with fears

Then two car accidents
On the same day but two years apart
Injuries heal but the mind may not
Was this the keeper’s plan from the start?

So don’t take it personal
When it seems I have a tude
I have tied a knot and am holding on
I don’t mean to be rude

When you add all of it up
I am just like you
I play the game with the cards dealt
I try to figure out what to do

Maybe days I am off
But my heart is always beating
I strive for the little man
Even though somedays are defeating

I decided I am not going to play
With this deck of cards anymore
It is time for a new deck
To see what life has in store

So please throw away your bad pairs
And let’s do what is right
Let’s join together in our group
And keep up the good fight

 

Finishline picture at our first ever organized run to University Hospital in Syracuse,NY.

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 & Kaylei

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!