Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, Jesse Owens 5K, 1 Mile & Kids Run

Dear Family and Friends,

I am so excited and honored to participate as a Children's Champion in partnership with the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon &1/2 Marathon. A lot has happened over the past couple of years and the hospital and the patients they treat still need our support.

Now, more than ever, the dollars we raise are critical. So many of us are experiencing challenges like we have never faced in our lifetime and, as you can imagine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is no exception. 

My personal fundraising goal for this program is $500. Any contribution you can make is greatly appreciated and will make a difference in the lives of children and families worldwide. Nationwide Children's Hospital is proud to treat patients from 50 states and over 60 countries.

If you have ever met my son, Knox, you know just how much he loves the ABCs. Obsessed is an understatement. That love has led to Knox learning to read at the age of three! That love of the ABCs is just one of the many cool things about Knox that is a result of him being neurodivergent and having Austism Spectrum Disorder.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital has been our family’s partner in Knox’s journey with ASD. The Behavioral Health Department was and continues to be instrumental in the diagnosis and management of our boy’s neurodivergence. However, Knox is just one of the many children seeking medical care for a developmental behavioral health condition. Because of that, wait times are at an all-time high for families seeking help. When we initially began the process of seeking an autism evaluation, the wait list was 18-months long. After the first telehealth appointment to determine if an in-person evaluation was appropriate, there was another six month wait list. To continue management of Knox’s sleep issues related to his autism, he is currently on another six month wait list to get an appointment. We know we are not alone in this journey and that Nationwide is doing everything possible to ensure that children receive evaluations and care as soon as possible. We were so grateful to receive a phone call when a last-minute cancellation by another patient meant Knox’s in-person evaluation could happen sooner than expected.

I share Knox’s story to show how important it is to ensure that funding is available to train more medical students and doctors in pediatric developmental behavioral health. That is why I am fundraising for the Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship Fund at Nationwide. I am so proud to run my first half marathon to celebrate Knox’s incredible neurodivergent brain, and I would be honored for you to join in that celebration by donating to ensure that more kids like Knox get the medical care they need.

To learn more about the incredible impact your donation can make click here.

I am proud to be a part of the Children's Champions program and I hope you will join me in my efforts to support life-saving pediatric research and care at Nationwide Children's Hospital.