A MESSAGE FROM BRANDON'S 2021 NYC MARATHON FUNDRAISING PAGE BENEFITTING THE NATIONAL CMV FOUNDATION
On November 7, I will run 26.2 miles during the 50th anniversary of the New York City marathon. What makes this marathon (#8 for me) the most special to date is I will be running on behalf of the National CMV Foundation and our son, Owen. When Owen was born on May 10, 2017, he was diagnosed with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV). I had never even heard of CMV, but as I learned more about the virus and the potential for long-term health problems like hearing loss, vision loss, seizures, and worse, we were devastated. We struggled with the unknowns of what the future would look like for Owen.
Over the last four years, Owen has been through more than most in a lifetime: months of risky antiviral drugs, 50+ blood draws, a HIDA scan, an MRI, multiple rounds of orthotics, years of physical/occupational/speech therapy, multiple EEGs, 12+ audiology assessments, several inpatient hospitalizations, and more specialist appointments than I can remember. Through it all, Owen has overcome. He is a fighter. Please join me in raising funds for the National CMV Foundation as together, we fight for Owen and all the kids and families who have faced this terrible virus.
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