Ice Marathon for Suicide Prevention & Alzheimer's
Donation protected
Hi! My name is Daniel Masterson. I am partaking in the 2022 Antarctic Ice Marathon (www.icemarathon.com) and will be running for a split cause: Suicide Prevention & Cure for Alzheimer's.
I learned of Alzheimer's at a very young age. When I was 2, my grandpa (Papa), Mike Masterson, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at The Mayo Clinic. Two years later, he was admitted to the Catholic Care Center. Alzheimer's spiraled quickly for Papa. He was in a wheelchair all the time and was unable to perform the basic necessary functions of living. Most of the time Papa only recognized my grandmother (Noni), Norma Masterson. He lived with the disease for seven years before passing away from Alzheimer's. Every day, usually twice a day, Noni would visit Papa, and feed him his noon and evening meals. Noni was constantly there by his side until the end. As a family, we would typically make it out to the Care Center at least once a week to spend an hour or two with him. My favorite memories were watching Chiefs games with Papa on Sundays. He was the biggest Chiefs fan I've ever met. He refused to listen to the TV announcers because he claimed the radio broadcasters were 10x better. Although he couldn't speak, I'll never forget him smiling when the Chiefs scored a touchdown.
For my dad, Paul Masterson, seeing Papa in this state for nine years and the emotional toll it took on Noni, really got to him. He despised Alzheimer's and was deathly afraid of getting the disease himself. Dad did everything in his power to fight getting Alzheimer's. I remember the cabinet full of vitamins he would take to "lessen his chances." He was always bringing home new vitamins based on the most recent article on what can help prevent Alzheimer's.
Dad always said he never wanted to live with Alzheimer's. We never knew just how much he meant those words until it was too late. On August 24th of 2015, at 54 years old, my dad committed suicide. In the note dad left behind, he listed in bullet point form several things he had forgotten, such as forgetting to set the timer on the coffee pot, misplacing his keys, forgetting where he was driving to, forgetting to bring one single dress shirt on the family cruise, etc... He was clearly always looking for cues of memory loss as a sign of Dementia/Alzheimer's. From my dad's point of view, by taking this final step, he was sparing the family from the emotional & financial burden that comes with living with Alzheimer's for years. It saddens me to know this was his mindset. I know everyone lucky enough to know my dad would have sacrificed anything to have more years with him.
The family suffered a loss due to suicide prior to my dad. My mom, Pam Masterson, is 1 of 7. Mick, her only brother, committed suicide when I was very young. Young enough that the family told me it was a car accident because we were too young to comprehend something of that magnitude. Seeing my mom lose a brother and a husband to suicide, both grandparents lose a son to suicide, and all of the family lose a loved one and close friend to suicide, was very hard. Suicide is often condemned and looked at as a selfish act and there are many negative connotations associated with the word. These are some reasons why it's so much more difficult to speak of than any other death. I wish that weren't the case. With my dad and Uncle Mick, and everyone else who commits suicide, there are countless good memories to look back on and cherish. Although their lives were cut short and ended before they should have, we will never forget the happy times spent together.
My goal is to raise awareness and motivate others to live a happier, healthier life, through getting outside and enjoying nature. Being physically active is 1 of the 12 potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia and is shown to help ease anxiety and depression. To quote Noni, "Health is Wealth."
In December 2022, Runbuk, Inc will host the 16th Antarctic Ice Marathon. A field of over 50 adventure athletes from around the globe will assemble for this event. I intend to participate in the race but need to raise the necessary funds. Admission to the race costs $18,900, and any help would be greatly appreciated. The main cost outside of the entry fee is the flight to and from Chile. All donations will help spread awareness of suicide prevention and keep the momentum going to find a Cure for Alzheimer's.
Thank you to everyone in advance. Your donations mean the world to both my family and me and are greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Daniel
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions. My cell is (316) [phone redacted]. For those who would prefer an alternate method of donating, please feel free to write a check:
Daniel Masterson
346 N Brookside St.
Wichita, KS 67208
Please follow the below links for more information on the lives of my dad (Paul), my grandpa (Mike), and uncle (Mick):
Organizer
Daniel Masterson
Organizer
Wichita, KS