Every time we’re downtown, we see at least one helicopter land on the roof at Children’s of Alabama. My kids stop what they’re doing and watch it with amazement, and we talk about how they are saving the life of a child. Ali and Noah are always in awe – and so am I.
In the past few years, I have had so many friends, and friends of friends, who have had serious, long-term need of the services provided by a Children’s Hospital. Childhood cancer…premature babies…intense illnesses…all of these families made Children’s Hospital their second (and sometimes first) home for a while. And, without fail, when it was time for them to leave the hospital, there were always pictures of them with smiling doctors and nurses that had become their family, their lifeline, and their hope. The consummate care of the hospital is always apparent.
Although we have been very fortunate to have never needed Children’s of Alabama yet – except for one middle-of-the-night emergency room visit (the kind where your child is completely limp and nonresponsive until you get to the hospital and through check-in and then the kid lights up like it’s Christmas morning and acts completely normal) and one after-hours Chicken Pox scare (it was awesome – they took us through the back door with masks on so that we didn’t start an outbreak in the waiting room – and it ended up being a very thorough covering of chigger bites, because I’m really medically smart like that) – I always rest easier knowing that they are only 15 minutes away if I ever do need them.
So I was more than happy to sign up to help them – and help myself get motivated for something I desperately needed to do – through the Miracle Marathon, which is a one-mile-a-day race organized by Children’s Miracle Network, with all of the proceeds going to the hospitals they support.
Children’s Miracle Network is a fundraising network for 170 Children’s Hospitals across the nation, and they work tirelessly to make sure that we all have care for our children when we need it. This race is one of their many fundraising activities, and it’s one that I’m particularly excited about.
I signed up for this before I started running two months ago, and it was definitely one of the motivators behind my first attempts at running – I needed to make sure I could do it. Running has improved my quality of life in so many ways, and this marathon is a great way to try it out if you want to see if it could be just as beneficial for you. Or if you’re already running, then a mile a day is no problem.
It starts on September 16. You can run, you can walk, or you can do the exercise equivalent of walking a mile – it’s completely up to you. Then on the last day, day 27, the final 1.2 miles will be started as a group at the same time, 1:27pm Central. If you are local, I will be hosting a team run for the last 1.2 miles.
It’s a marathon – plus a mile – for the kids.
I would love for you to join my team in this race and benefit your local Children’s Hospital – you can choose which hospital gets your support when you sign up. Also, you can use the code “MiracleRachel” to get 10% off your registration, making the signup only $24.48.
If you would rather support than run, you can do that here – all money raised goes straight to the Children’s Hospitals. Hospitals who desperately need our help:
The number that really catches my attention is the 3.4 Billion dollars in charity care. Children’s Hospitals are taking care of children who otherwise would not have access to the medical care that they desperately need. I am excited to do my part to contribute to that number.
Will you join me? I want to run with you!
This post was made possible through the support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. All opinions are my own.
I think this is awesome!! I wish I lived close to you and I’d join your team. But I’m several hours away… boo. My sister was born in 1980 with a medical condition that required 8 major operations and count less minor operations. She was hospitalized (4 hours away from our hometown) for the first year of her life. She was not expected to make a full recovery. But she did! When she was 3 or 4 she was on the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon with my parents and her doctors and surgeons. She is now in her 30s and lives a normal, healthy life!
Wow – that’s an amazing story! You can do it no matter where you are and benefit your local children’s hospital!