A MESSAGE FROM Ben & Tiff's Marathon for Moss Benefitting SUDC
Ben and I are honored, excited and a bit nervous to run the NYC Marathon in honor of our
cousin, Moss Pieratt and to raise awareness for SUDC (Sudden Unexplained Death in
Childhood).
The Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated
toward research and awareness of sudden deaths in children over the age of 12 months that
remain unexplained after the conclusion of a thorough case investigation.
On April 26, 2014, my cousin, Jessica and her husband J. tragically experienced what every
parent fears most: loosing their sweet son Moss unexpectedly and unexplainably. Moss was our
first cousin on the Jenkins side for our oldest kids. They were greatly impacted by him and speak
of him often. Moss was very special to our family and is a true angel to our kids. We have been
able to see God in a very personal and real way through Moss and his life. For Ben and I to get
the opportunity to run in his honor is incredibly humbling. It brings me to tears.
Running has been a passion of ours since we started dating. We ran together and had long chats
all through college, dating, and into marriage. At one point in college we were training for a
marathon but got injured and was unable to complete it.
COVID brought my love of running to a new level. I ran long and hard and felt peacefully. I heard from the Lord more than I had in years. It was my saving grace during that uncertain time.
Taking my running to the next level, I decided to train for the Woodlands marathon in 2021 in an
attempt to qualify for Boston. It was a lofty goal for a first timer and I put a lot of pressure on
myself. Ben was right there beside me on my long runs to keep time and achieve my big goals.
He was my motivator, he kept me accountable, and he was my biggest fan. After months of
training, early morning runs and sacrifice, I ran in the Woodlands Marathon. I didn't qualify for Boston. It was long, hot, grueling and lonely. I needed a bud. I needed my husband. I promised myself I
would never run another one alone nor would I put such high pressure on myself again. I would
run for the love of running and with my love.
So when the opportunity came to run, together, in honor of Moss; the answer was an easy, tender
yes. Coincidentally, our daughter's 13th birthday is the week prior and we were already planning
on taking her to NYC to celebrate. Even the timing is perfect. We see God’s loving hand over
this and could not be more grateful.
Thank you tremendously for supporting us in this endeavor as we raise money for SUDC and for Moss. We never thought our joint
marathon training those many years ago would end up here, but we are beyond humbled it did.
