2016 has been a tough running year for me, but on November 6th I'll be running the Marshall University Marathon in Huntington, West Virginia, and have designated this race as my 4th consective fundraising run. In 2013, my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder; soon after I decided to run my first fundraising race. Running has since taken on a greater purpose in my life...it is a happy place for me, a contemplative and problem solving place, but also a platform to raise autism awareness and funds for research that directly impact my family. I am incredibly grateful for those friends and family that consistenly donate to the autism cause, and for anyone new to our story who has decided to donate, well...thank you doesn't seem like quite enough, but it will have to do for now.

A week ago I was sharing with the family a new research study I had read about in which they were using the baby teeth of siblings of autistic children to try to determine any environmental factors that might be linked to autism. Evan yelled excitedly, "that's us!". "Yes, Buddy.", I replied. He then asked what autism was, and after an explanation from my husband and myself, Evan said, "Can you fix it?"

This is why I run, because I would fix it if I could. But since I can't, I will fight to make his life as manageable as possible. Evan told Jayme recently that he doesn't like the outside world and that home is his safe place. "I was born that way.", he said. Evan gets it...he gets that his life is hard and the world doesn't always understand him; he notices when the kids don't sit with him on the bus, or when they whisper about him in class. So, I will run mile, after mile, after mile, until maybe one day there will be a cure; if I can educate people along the way, then I'm doing my part to make the world a safer place for Evan and people like him.

For more information about how your dollars are making a difference, please go here: http://www.researchautism.org/about/philosophy/index.asp