OK - it's official!
The winner of the concert drawing is Mary Wilson Huebner! An all acoustic concert is prepped and ready to go!
Thank you again for all your support of these kids!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Josiah's Story
Josiah (mysonx3 on Nike+) is still recovering from his meningitis. It started with a headache. After twenty-four hours, I took him to the Urgent Care clinic. They checked him out and told me to keep him hydrated. After forty-eight hours, he had a fever of 103, despite the Motrin he was taking, a terrible headache, and had slept for the entire day. Before I went to bed I checked on him one more time. I couldn’t get him to wake up. He would start to wake up but was delirious. He went to the emergency room by ambulance and was moved to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit within an hour. They gave him strong antibiotics immediately, which saved his live. Each hour saw some improvement. By the time I went to sleep about 4am, he nodded slightly when the nurse asked if he knew that I was there. Eight hours earlier when they asked who I was, he had no idea.
On Easter, Josiah started having problems with his eyes, he couldn’t control them. His fever went up and his headaches were getting worse again. They did surgery to clear his sphenoid sinuses, right in the middle of his head, which were badly infected and had caused his meningitis. We saw immediate improvement. He went home a few days later with a PICC line (like an IV that goes straight to his heart). I got a crash course on nursing and have been giving him his antibiotics through his PICC line every six hours for the last two weeks. He is doing very well, but still faces a long recovery. He is tired, gets headaches easily, is a little clumsy but is expected to fully recover. We hope that he will have his PICC line removed today and will be off all antibiotics then. He will start back at school for just a few hours this week, and we will lengthen his time there a little more very week. I write this partly because I asked you to pray, and partly so that you understand our Run with Maggie B Day.
God saved Josiah. The doctors keep telling me what a lucky boy Josiah is. He is not lucky…he is loved by the one who created him and who still has purposes for him on this side of heaven. He is appropriately named. Josiah means “the Lord heals”.
Our Journey Here
God has used your music in incredible ways in my life. I could write my biography using only your songs. (I guess YOU would write my biography then...) I was just a little older than Josiah when I got your first tape. I wore it out. It has been your words that have run through my head at all the pinnacle moments of my life. You are two steps ahead of me in everything, it seems. So when what you write gets to me, it is just what I needed. This run is no different. Last fall, with my mother as my inspiration, I decided to get off my rear and start to run. I wanted to do a half marathon. I found the Tacoma City Half Marathon on May 3rd and picked that as my goal. I had my iPod…full of all things Maggie B, with a few others, my Nike+ (I HAVE to know how long, how far, how fast….I’m crazy that way) and registered for my first half marathon. I wrote my Jeff Galloway program on the calendar, rejoined Weight Watchers and determined to finish my first half marathon. I had read on your blog that you were running some. It wasn’t but a month or two later that you opened your event and website. Once again…you were a few steps ahead of me. My half marathon was just one week after yours. I was very excited to join you. Feeding hungry children in the world has long been a passion of mine, but that is an entirely different story. So to run (virtually) with my lifelong mentor/coach/conscience…and help feed kids was a no-brainer for me. Josiah has been my running/shuffling partner for a few months. He got everything he needed to run for his birthday in February and was excited to join me in Running with Maggie B. His meningitis slowed us both down quite a bit. Josiah is not able to run at all right now. And I pretty much quit training for the last few weeks. (There will be more time to train later…when Josiah does not need me so much.) But we wanted to do something still for Run with Maggie B Day.
Josiah’s Creative Course
To honor Josiah, the “girls” in his life ran a marathon for him. My mom got up early and did the largest part, and almost ran the battery out on his iPod. We decided we had to load it to Nike+ before it died and we lost that run, hence Josiah’s “winning” 15+ miles. After it had charged a bit, we continued. His grandmother, myself and his sisters (ages 7 and 4) strapped on his Nike+ and iPod and ran about twenty five and half miles for him. Josiah finished by himself. We never got his Nike + adjusted right on his shoes before this time, so there were no real previous workouts on the Nike website for him. It now says that he has completed 26.2 miles. He is very proud and honored. His “girls” just ran in our local neighborhood. Josiah’s creative course was more interesting. Josiah started his part of his marathon at the hospital were he had been just a few weeks ago. He carried his bag full of pumps and medications and went back and visited the places that he had been. He went through the emergency room, to the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care) and to the cafeteria (where he never went, but WE spent a lot of time). There are pictures of these things. From the hospital, he drove a few blocks to 4US headquarters. I will explain that in a minute. It has to do with our workout wear. Then Josiah finished walking up our street to his home, where his sisters and our neighbor friend had made him a welcome home banner. He was pretty exhausted by this “1k” workout, but he finished his marathon by himself. It was very symbolic for us. He was able to participate in Run with Maggie B, he was home, he will be off his pumps soon, and it was actually World Meningitis Day on April 25th!
Our Race Outfits
My mom, Josiah and I decided to wear our 4us shirts and hats. Josiah and I thought long and hard about what kind of costumes we could wear for this. We kept coming back to 4us. It is not that crazy or anything, but it is very important to us. 4us is a charity that was started 4 years ago. Its purpose is to buy new ultrasound machines for local crisis pregnancy centers. 97% of women experiencing a crisis pregnancy in our county who see an ultrasound of their unborn baby will choose to carry it to term. Yet nationally, only about 5%, or 100 centers, have ultrasound capabilities and many of those are older machines. In the last 4 years, 4us has put on a multi-distance bike ride (57/30/5 miles), a 10k/5k/3k walk/run, a motorcycle ride, and a family fun event in September that has raised money to purchase new ultrasound machines for our local pregnancy centers. Participants in the events do fundraising, of which 100% of the money raised will go to purchase the ultrasound machines. Seven new machines have been purchased so far. I became involved as part of the key staff of this all-volunteer charity a little over a year ago. It is near and dear to our family. Every training run that I do, I sport 4us gear, in hopes that someone will see it and ask (which they have). I just couldn’t change this, not even for Run with Maggie B Day! What if someone who needed to see my shirt happened to be running today also! In addition, we have live music every year at the 4us events in September on a small stage and hope that if either of us were to win the “grand prize”, that you might be able to come and sing at this event. We would do almost anything to help this charity and we would love to have you there. So our outfits are to spread the word and representative of our goal in this race with you. As part of Josiah’s creative course, he went from the hospital to 4us headquarters. He may not have been able to run in your race, but he will be back in time for 4us. (The charity’s website is www.4us.org if you are interested in reading more).
Non-Human Companion
Josiah is allergic to pet dander. As such, we are not able to have any furry friends at home. We do have a goldfish, but she was quite grateful that we did not take her running, or we may not have had a goldfish any longer. Josiah’s non-human companion was “Medi”, his nickname for the two IV pumps that he has been carrying around for the last few weeks. (He was quick to point out that you only said “non-human” companion, not “breathing” companion. (Might want to be clearer in the future, my son will take everything quite literally.) He carries “Medi” in a blue fanny pack that he refuses to wear on his fanny (can’t say I blame him!).
My Course
I ran some for Josiah, with his iPod, but I am too competitive (or something) to not put some miles on mine also. I did not do a full half, as I am dutifully following Jeff Galloway’s plan and he said to do 5 miles the week before the half-marathon. So I did my 5 miles and walked with my girls as they ran for Josiah. I ended up with 7.3 miles in 1:52:18. I tried to think of something creative for my run…loved your ideas! But running through the candles at Target or to my favorite coffee places (both of which I love to do!) just didn’t seem like as enjoyable as running through our local neighborhood. Something about the trees, the Puget Sound, the flowers, and the beautiful Northwest with good music in my ears just makes me smile. So I took some pictures along my route.
Fundraising
Every year our family works hard to raise money for two reasons. The first is to buy ultrasound machines with 4us, and the second is at Christmas. Our family buys the ingredients and puts together cookie mix in jars to sell to raise money to feed hungry kids in Haiti. (I took a missions trip to visit a child I sponsored in Haiti as a teenager…I have never forgotten.) We have done pretty well with this, earning enough to feed a family for a year each Christmas. I think we have tapped out our resources right now and so didn’t raise any funds.
The End
Thank you! Thank you for Run with Maggie B. I have enjoyed the challenges, the camaraderie (though it has been a rough couple of months for us and I have not been able to participate as I would have liked), the time with my son, and most of all your influence in my life and now the lives of my family. (LOVE hearing my 7 and 4 year old girls singing about being a much better old woman than they are a young! Makes me smile!) When I need encouragement, a boost, or just a kick in the pants, you have been there. And thanks for getting me off my rear…I was tempted to just forget about my half marathon once Josiah got sick. But I will finish, I will walk far more than I hoped to, but I will finish. And I will register at this ½ for my next, the first week of August, and then I hope to do it better! God bless you for the work that you do!
-Becki Rutledge (mommyrkr)
On Easter, Josiah started having problems with his eyes, he couldn’t control them. His fever went up and his headaches were getting worse again. They did surgery to clear his sphenoid sinuses, right in the middle of his head, which were badly infected and had caused his meningitis. We saw immediate improvement. He went home a few days later with a PICC line (like an IV that goes straight to his heart). I got a crash course on nursing and have been giving him his antibiotics through his PICC line every six hours for the last two weeks. He is doing very well, but still faces a long recovery. He is tired, gets headaches easily, is a little clumsy but is expected to fully recover. We hope that he will have his PICC line removed today and will be off all antibiotics then. He will start back at school for just a few hours this week, and we will lengthen his time there a little more very week. I write this partly because I asked you to pray, and partly so that you understand our Run with Maggie B Day.
God saved Josiah. The doctors keep telling me what a lucky boy Josiah is. He is not lucky…he is loved by the one who created him and who still has purposes for him on this side of heaven. He is appropriately named. Josiah means “the Lord heals”.
Our Journey Here
God has used your music in incredible ways in my life. I could write my biography using only your songs. (I guess YOU would write my biography then...) I was just a little older than Josiah when I got your first tape. I wore it out. It has been your words that have run through my head at all the pinnacle moments of my life. You are two steps ahead of me in everything, it seems. So when what you write gets to me, it is just what I needed. This run is no different. Last fall, with my mother as my inspiration, I decided to get off my rear and start to run. I wanted to do a half marathon. I found the Tacoma City Half Marathon on May 3rd and picked that as my goal. I had my iPod…full of all things Maggie B, with a few others, my Nike+ (I HAVE to know how long, how far, how fast….I’m crazy that way) and registered for my first half marathon. I wrote my Jeff Galloway program on the calendar, rejoined Weight Watchers and determined to finish my first half marathon. I had read on your blog that you were running some. It wasn’t but a month or two later that you opened your event and website. Once again…you were a few steps ahead of me. My half marathon was just one week after yours. I was very excited to join you. Feeding hungry children in the world has long been a passion of mine, but that is an entirely different story. So to run (virtually) with my lifelong mentor/coach/conscience…and help feed kids was a no-brainer for me. Josiah has been my running/shuffling partner for a few months. He got everything he needed to run for his birthday in February and was excited to join me in Running with Maggie B. His meningitis slowed us both down quite a bit. Josiah is not able to run at all right now. And I pretty much quit training for the last few weeks. (There will be more time to train later…when Josiah does not need me so much.) But we wanted to do something still for Run with Maggie B Day.
Josiah’s Creative Course
To honor Josiah, the “girls” in his life ran a marathon for him. My mom got up early and did the largest part, and almost ran the battery out on his iPod. We decided we had to load it to Nike+ before it died and we lost that run, hence Josiah’s “winning” 15+ miles. After it had charged a bit, we continued. His grandmother, myself and his sisters (ages 7 and 4) strapped on his Nike+ and iPod and ran about twenty five and half miles for him. Josiah finished by himself. We never got his Nike + adjusted right on his shoes before this time, so there were no real previous workouts on the Nike website for him. It now says that he has completed 26.2 miles. He is very proud and honored. His “girls” just ran in our local neighborhood. Josiah’s creative course was more interesting. Josiah started his part of his marathon at the hospital were he had been just a few weeks ago. He carried his bag full of pumps and medications and went back and visited the places that he had been. He went through the emergency room, to the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care) and to the cafeteria (where he never went, but WE spent a lot of time). There are pictures of these things. From the hospital, he drove a few blocks to 4US headquarters. I will explain that in a minute. It has to do with our workout wear. Then Josiah finished walking up our street to his home, where his sisters and our neighbor friend had made him a welcome home banner. He was pretty exhausted by this “1k” workout, but he finished his marathon by himself. It was very symbolic for us. He was able to participate in Run with Maggie B, he was home, he will be off his pumps soon, and it was actually World Meningitis Day on April 25th!
Our Race Outfits
My mom, Josiah and I decided to wear our 4us shirts and hats. Josiah and I thought long and hard about what kind of costumes we could wear for this. We kept coming back to 4us. It is not that crazy or anything, but it is very important to us. 4us is a charity that was started 4 years ago. Its purpose is to buy new ultrasound machines for local crisis pregnancy centers. 97% of women experiencing a crisis pregnancy in our county who see an ultrasound of their unborn baby will choose to carry it to term. Yet nationally, only about 5%, or 100 centers, have ultrasound capabilities and many of those are older machines. In the last 4 years, 4us has put on a multi-distance bike ride (57/30/5 miles), a 10k/5k/3k walk/run, a motorcycle ride, and a family fun event in September that has raised money to purchase new ultrasound machines for our local pregnancy centers. Participants in the events do fundraising, of which 100% of the money raised will go to purchase the ultrasound machines. Seven new machines have been purchased so far. I became involved as part of the key staff of this all-volunteer charity a little over a year ago. It is near and dear to our family. Every training run that I do, I sport 4us gear, in hopes that someone will see it and ask (which they have). I just couldn’t change this, not even for Run with Maggie B Day! What if someone who needed to see my shirt happened to be running today also! In addition, we have live music every year at the 4us events in September on a small stage and hope that if either of us were to win the “grand prize”, that you might be able to come and sing at this event. We would do almost anything to help this charity and we would love to have you there. So our outfits are to spread the word and representative of our goal in this race with you. As part of Josiah’s creative course, he went from the hospital to 4us headquarters. He may not have been able to run in your race, but he will be back in time for 4us. (The charity’s website is www.4us.org if you are interested in reading more).
Non-Human Companion
Josiah is allergic to pet dander. As such, we are not able to have any furry friends at home. We do have a goldfish, but she was quite grateful that we did not take her running, or we may not have had a goldfish any longer. Josiah’s non-human companion was “Medi”, his nickname for the two IV pumps that he has been carrying around for the last few weeks. (He was quick to point out that you only said “non-human” companion, not “breathing” companion. (Might want to be clearer in the future, my son will take everything quite literally.) He carries “Medi” in a blue fanny pack that he refuses to wear on his fanny (can’t say I blame him!).
My Course
I ran some for Josiah, with his iPod, but I am too competitive (or something) to not put some miles on mine also. I did not do a full half, as I am dutifully following Jeff Galloway’s plan and he said to do 5 miles the week before the half-marathon. So I did my 5 miles and walked with my girls as they ran for Josiah. I ended up with 7.3 miles in 1:52:18. I tried to think of something creative for my run…loved your ideas! But running through the candles at Target or to my favorite coffee places (both of which I love to do!) just didn’t seem like as enjoyable as running through our local neighborhood. Something about the trees, the Puget Sound, the flowers, and the beautiful Northwest with good music in my ears just makes me smile. So I took some pictures along my route.
Fundraising
Every year our family works hard to raise money for two reasons. The first is to buy ultrasound machines with 4us, and the second is at Christmas. Our family buys the ingredients and puts together cookie mix in jars to sell to raise money to feed hungry kids in Haiti. (I took a missions trip to visit a child I sponsored in Haiti as a teenager…I have never forgotten.) We have done pretty well with this, earning enough to feed a family for a year each Christmas. I think we have tapped out our resources right now and so didn’t raise any funds.
The End
Thank you! Thank you for Run with Maggie B. I have enjoyed the challenges, the camaraderie (though it has been a rough couple of months for us and I have not been able to participate as I would have liked), the time with my son, and most of all your influence in my life and now the lives of my family. (LOVE hearing my 7 and 4 year old girls singing about being a much better old woman than they are a young! Makes me smile!) When I need encouragement, a boost, or just a kick in the pants, you have been there. And thanks for getting me off my rear…I was tempted to just forget about my half marathon once Josiah got sick. But I will finish, I will walk far more than I hoped to, but I will finish. And I will register at this ½ for my next, the first week of August, and then I hope to do it better! God bless you for the work that you do!
-Becki Rutledge (mommyrkr)
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