"Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit. Oh wait, that's wrong. I lived the first half of my Michigan life in Dearborn and then moved to the rural area of Pinckney, before eventually moving to Florida at the age of 24. Around this time, I decided I wanted to do something in the health care field, and after putting in some volunteer hours at a hospital, I decided it was time to go back to school to be a physical therapist.
After moving to Florida, I played in a lot of community rec flag football and roller hockey leagues, but as I got older and stopped playing those, I was trying to find a way to remain active. After following Katie along on one of her marathons (as a spectator), I caught the bug. We signed up for ESPN the Weekend 5k at Walt Disney World as my first race. After a couple more short runs, I wanted to try something longer. We ventured into the 10k distance and then eventually half-marathons. This past January, I ran my first full marathon at WDW as part of the Goofy Challenge - 13.1 miles on Saturday and then 26.2 on Sunday.
As a person who loves team sports but not being familiar with Ragnar, I was introduced to the team aspect of running a relay race and thought it was a cool idea. Being able to combine the team concept while also fundraising for a cause that is now near and dear to my heart sounded even better.
As for what it means to be Chase's dad, I marvel at the opportunity to teach (as well as learn) on a daily basis the experiences I never thought I'd have, least of all enjoy, like the fun I get to have taking him to sporting events, the trips taken (via both the airlines and family "truckster"), and the love that is expressed and received, especially with the extra attention required for a child with 22q."
(I am obviously one of John's biggest fans. It has been such a joy for me to watch him transform into Chase's daddy. Before Chase came along, we were those parents. You know the ones. I was never going to breastfeed in public; we were never going to co-sleep, we were never going to let our kid scream on an airplane, he was going to eat all of his vegetables (ok, that one he does...), etc. And then Chase was here and as they say, "everything changes when you have a baby." We had some challenges that I know many of you in the 22q community faced, but that none of our friends or family had to deal with. We had to leave the hospital without our baby. I had to pump milk day and night for his 10 days in the NICU. Chase came home without a voice; we couldn't put him in a crib to sleep because we wouldn't be able to hear him if he woke. And so, without even realizing it, we adapted and changed to meet his needs. John has helped and supported me while breastfeeding Chase at the airport, on an airplane, at Disney World during a marathon, while watching hockey and minor league baseball games, restaurants, playgrounds, and during hospital stays. Six days shy of his second birthday and with a voice that carries through an auditorium, Chase still shares our bed. I can't think of a better champion for our son than John, and so, I am thankful that he not only supported my efforts into creating this team, but that he has been working behind the scenes with me to make sure we are successful! Happy Father's Day, John, and happy Father's Day to all of you 22q daddies out there who are also working tirelessly to make the lives of your children better!)
John will be runner 4, sharing the journey with the rest of van 1!
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22q families, consider making your donation to the Dempster Family Foundation and sponsor a mile in your child's honor! Your $100 donation provides for 1 hour of educational advocacy, helps cover costs for educational programming to teachers, parents, and medical professionals, or helps defray the costs of sending our children to Dragonfly Camp! If $100 seems daunting to you, PLEASE set up your own "Be a Fundraiser" page - you have 4 months to ask family and friends to pitch in for your mile! Put away $6.25 a week, $25 a month, or ask 10 friends for $10! There are lots of ways to raise that money, so please don't feel overwhelmed!
Friends! we have several ways you can help! Choose an item off of our amazon wishlist (search werun22q@gmail.com), purchase a gas gift card to help us on our journey, donate $10 and pick a song for our playlist, make a donation through PayPal (email werun22q@gmail,com), or consider making a pledge to another 22q cutie's page so a mile can be sponsored in their honor.
Help us ensure that the Dempster Family Foundation can continue to provide the services we all depend on to help our kids!
Thank you! :)
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