Our First Bix 7 Race: A Tribute to Mom & Grandma

My name is Lenny DeBroeck. This year, on July 26th, it will be 6 years since my mom passed away. She was 61, just 5 weeks short of her 62nd birthday. On that day, this year, my daughter and I will be running in our first Bix 7 race, a 7-mile race in the Quad Cities (Iowa and Illinois) that has been going on since 1975. She had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis about 15 years before she passed, and this disease was a strong factor that almost killed her in January 2011, along with a major factor in the complications that led to her passing. What was initially 7 days to live in 2011 turned into a strong 8 1/2 years. She got to see all 3 of her boys get married and got to spend precious time with all of her grandchildren.

Out of the blue, while chatting with my dad and friends, we decided to turn the day into a chance to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. To help show support, we will be wearing bright orange shirts (MS color) with an "In Memory" on the back.

I very much understand that my story is not long, but I could write a novel about my mom and her fight to get the full story out there. I just ask for your help to support awareness and research for the disease that took my mom.