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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO HEALTH, NATIONAL, AND SPORTS EDITORS:
14 International WUNners Represent Wake Up Narcolepsy in 2014 Boston
Marathon
WORCESTER, Mass., April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the
26.2 miles of 118th Boston Marathon looming before them on April 21,
14 dedicated WUNners from across the U.S. and Canada are in their
final few days of training. The WUNners are racing to benefit Wake Up
Narcolepsy (WUN) www.wakeupnarcolepsy.org, a nonprofit organization
working to speed narcolepsy diagnosis and treatment, and fund medical
research to find a cure. Narcolepsy is a devastating lifelong,
neurological sleep disorder affecting 200,000 Americans and millions
of people worldwide.
Dave Gow, of Worcester, who co-founded WUN in 2008, is running his
second Boston Marathon in support of Thomas, his 16-year-old son who
has narcolepsy. Halted by race officials a mile from the finish line,
along with thousands of other runners in last year's tragic race, Dave
renewed his commitment to finish this year's race for people with
narcolepsy (PWN) everywhere.
"Hockey, not long-distance running is my first sport, so training for
and running a marathon is a stretch for me," he said. "But I'd do
anything for my children. Everyday I watch Thomas struggle to overcome
his narcolepsy. Running a marathon pales in comparison to the
challenges he faces living with this invisible disease. If my efforts
help kids like Thomas lead more normal lives, it's all worth it." In
the 2013 race, Dave was among the top 20 fundraisers of all Marathon
runners, bringing in over $38,000 to benefit WUN's work.
To date, WUN has raised about 70% of its fundraising goal of $100,000
for the 2014 Marathon. All proceeds will support researchers in the
U.S. and Canada working diligently to find a cure for narcolepsy.
Donations can be made at
http://www.crowdrise.com/wunners2014bostonmarathon.
International Team of Veteran and First-time Marathoners
Joining Dave are 13 other WUNners from as far away as Ontario,
Arizona, Colorado, Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, and New England.
They include seasoned marathoners like Marylou Blakely (Bisbee, AZ),
Jared Chrudimsky (Worcester), Justin Ferguson (Newmarket, ON), Shelby
Harris (New York), Cherie Johnson (Oro Valley, AZ), Jennifer Morin
(Ottawa), Dan Rech (Arlington, MA), Jacqueline Sager (Boston/Chicago)
Stephen Smith (Atlanta), and Alysia Steinmann (New York).
Running their first marathons are Lalita Bumpen (West Hartford, CT)
Ernie Freedman (Denver), and Katie Goode (Tewksbury, MA).
Thankfully, none of the nine WUNners who started the 2013 race was
injured from the terrorist bombs near the finish line, which claimed
three lives and injured hundreds. One of them, however - Jacqueline
Sager - witnessed both blasts as she sprinted toward the finish line.
Thrown into shock, she required help from first responders before
leaving the scene under her own power. She is among those featured in
If Not for the Perfect Stranger, which chronicles stories from that
horrific day.
"This year will be a very special race for runners, spectators,
fundraisers, and the city of Boston itself," Jacqueline said.
"Supporting a WUNner means so much to PWN and is an integral part of
what the Marathon is all about."
About Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is an autoimmune sleep disorder affecting 1 in 2,000
people. Sadly, narcolepsy is severely under-recognized and
misdiagnosed. It is not uncommon for 10 years to pass between initial
onset and proper diagnosis. It most often presents itself in
childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood, and lasts a lifetime.
Narcolepsy's effect on quality of life compares to Parkinson's disease
and epilepsy. Though medications help, there is currently no cure.
Even with proper medical treatment, life with narcolepsy is never
normal.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140414/73008
SOURCE Wake Up Narcolepsy
-0- 04/15/2014
/CONTACT: Ken McDonnell, 774 364 4965, kmcdonnell@wakeupnarcolepsy.org
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140414/73008
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CO: Wake Up Narcolepsy
ST: Massachusetts
IN: HEA SPT SSE
SU: NPT
PRN
-- DC04709 --
0000 04/15/2014 13:00:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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