Hi there! Brad has been working on our official letter that we'll send out to everyone. I think he's done a wonderful job. Here it is...not sure if it'll all post, but I'm going to try it! (Updated on 9/2/06)

Dear Friends and Family,

206 miles down, 255.2 miles to go – our formal training started on the third week of June, and on October 22nd we will individually run 26.2 miles to complete the Chicago Marathon. 463.2 miles each in 18 weeks…pretty impressive numbers considering that prior to taking on this challenge none of us had run more than 8 miles in one shot. Much more impressive numbers: an ANC of 5,992; platelets of 241,000; and Hgb of 11.1. These are Hunter’s latest blood counts and they translate into a miraculous road to recovering from his bone marrow transplant received in May this year.

In March of 1999, Hunter, our nephew, was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia, an auto-immune disease that destroyed his bone marrow. At age two, Hunter was unable to produce platelets or red and white blood cells, rendering his body incapable of fighting infections. He immediately entered his first round of intense chemotherapy and progressed into remission. Less than a year and a half later he relapsed and required a second round of chemo. Thankfully, for nearly 5 years after that, Hunter was blessed with stable blood counts, and was off all chemo for two years. In January 2006, all of his counts crashed. In February, Hunter, now age 9, underwent a bilateral bone marrow biopsy that determined his disease had transformed into Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, requiring a bone marrow transplant for his survival. A search for a donor match was initiated on February 28th and Hunter received the miracle of new life on May 25th.

So we are running for Hunter. Our training started shortly after his transplant, and his courage provides the inspiration that carries us through the miles. Our daily struggles and pains in training are trivial compared to the road that Hunter has braved and the continued trials he faces as he fights and beats this disease. We are committed to our challenge and we need your support. Hunter’s uninsured medical costs are enormous, so we set a goal to collectively raise at least $10,000. To help with these uninsured expenses a fundraising campaign has been established in Hunter’s honor with the National Transplant Assistance Fund (NTAF). NTAF is a nonprofit that has been assisting the transplant community for the last 23 years.

Each of us has committed to covering the sizable costs associated with running the marathon and raising funds so that 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes directly towards helping Hunter win back his life. You can follow our training and fundraising updates at: http://www.milesformarrow.blogspot.com/. Please consider pledging your support by returning the enclosed donation card to us by October 1st. We will run the 26.2 miles, Hunter will beat his Leukemia, and you will help make it all happen.

Thank you so much for your support!
Brad, Brooke & Ben

"...they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary..." Isaiah 40:31