I Run for Ryan

Three years ago, almost to the day, Ryan was recovering from a terrible infection he developed following a bone marrow transplant. He had been so severely ill and weakened for 9 weeks that he could hardly move. Ryan heard of an awareness campaign for an old family friend, Sienna, who has a rare disorder called Smith-Magenis Syndrome and he wanted to participate. He did so by taking 17 steps (the campaign was a challenge using the number 17 because the disorder is a deletion on chromosome 17) in her honor. This is Ryan's indomitable spirit: in the midst of his own battle he found the strength to offer encouragement to someone else who was fighting theirs. 

Ryan's fight continues now as he faces Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) for the third time at the age of 13. Ryan, his parents, Christy and Carlos, and his sister, Mia, have been through the unimaginable pain of this ruthless disease too many times. They need our prayers and our strength now more than ever. We must carry Ryan and his family through this next course of chemotherapy and another bone marrow transplant. I will be running 3 miles every day that Ryan spends in the hospital and donating here for every mile I run. Please join me by using the hashtag #irunforryan on social media so that Ryan and his family can read your messages of hope and faith. All funds raised will go directly to the Alarcon family to support them during this difficult time. Thank you for your generosity.