A year ago our son Jack was recovering successfully at home from the second surgery he underwent at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD). At the time we thought we were done. The second surgery, we believed, marked the end.

Jack was born with a rare congenital birth defect (giant melanocytic nevus) for which he received treatment at CHaD to remove. During those surgeries and his recovery I was so grateful for the expertise of the surgeons and the care he received from the nursing staff at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. But never was I more grateful for CHaD than in the wee hours of the morning of June 14th, 2013 when Jack was transported via ambulance from our local hospital to CHaD.

In the middle of the night we had raced to the emergency room: Jack had a raging fever and was inconsolable. The ER staff did everything they could, but after a few phone calls to our surgeons at CHaD, realized they did not have the expertise necessary to deal with Jack's condition. Five weeks post-op, Jack had developed a staph infection.

I vividly remember, as sitting in the ER holding Jack waiting for the transport ambulance, feeling so scared that I would lose my son. I knew the dangers of a staph infection. When we arrived at CHaD I felt relieved knowing that we were finally in a place where they could discover what was wrong and treat Jack.

We spent the next five days at CHaD as Jack received treatment and they monitored his condition. They administered antibiotics and he received frequent blood tests. It was a difficult few days, but he seemed to improve each morning. He underwent another small surgery to drain the infected area and after a day of recovery we were sent home, with our healthy little boy.

A year later some of those memories have faded and we're simply focused on life now: chasing after Jack, who is a rambunctious, energetic and healthy 21 month old. The only visible reminder of last year: the scar across his back.

I used to kind of scoff at people who threw themselves into "causes," because it seemed like it almost became their identity. Why were they stuck in a past memory? Why didn't they just move on? It would be easy to walk away from this whole experience and completely move on with life as a family and let those memories of our time at CHaD simply fade. But for some reason I can't. Mostly because I know that today there are families up at CHaD sitting in the room of their child, staring at their little faces wondering if everything is going to be OK? Now I know that the people who throw themselves into a cause, whatever it may be, they are the ones who make a difference. If it weren't for those kinds of people: the people who get excited and raise awareness and ask for donations the care wouldn't be there. I'm proud to be one of those people. We never thought we would need CHaD, but when we did it was there for us. Which is why I run and raise money for CHaD: so that the same expertise and care is available to another family just like ours.

This year I am running the CHaD HERO Half Marathonagain and I will join Sophia and the rest of the family in the Cam’s Course Mile Fun Run.

Last year my goal was to raise $5,000 and thanks to your generosity I raised $7,000. This year I’ve set the bar high, my goal is to raise $10,000. Right now it seems impossible, but most big goals always do before you take the first step towards making them a reality. But it is a worthwhile goal, others who fundraised before me made it possible for Jack to receive the care that he did. I want to help make that care possible for another family. But I need your help to do so. My goal is to be a HERO. Will you be a HERO too?

Here is how you can help:

Donate. You can donate with a credit card on my fundraising page. Little or big, every bit counts! Use this link to donate: http://chad.donordrive.com/participant/runfargirl
You can also donate by purchasing an "Embrace the Hill" t-shirt from my shop. Click HERE. All of the proceeds go directly to CHaD. $2000+ dollars have been raised so far!
Join TEAM NUUN. Looking for a fun event to attend in the fall? Want to run a fun run with your kids? Challenge yourself to 13.1 miles? Run a 5K? Then join the members of TEAM NUUN for CHaD Kids. I've teamed up with Nuun Hydration (the official hydration sponsor of the 2014 CHaD HERO Event) to create TEAM NUUN. Our goal is to raise $30,000. Money that will go directly to support the services provided by the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. By participating on TEAM NUUN you'll also have the chance to receive some great swag (Nuun gift bags to fundraisers who surpass the $250 mark and the $500 mark) and be able to participate in training runs held over the summer months at various locations across New Hampshire. To going TEAM NUUN and sign up for the HERO Half Marathon, Ripcord 5K, Cam's Fun Run or Hike. Go click HERE. You can also follow TEAM NUUN on Facebook by clicking HERE.
Participate virtually through with TEAM NUUN through the HERO QUEST. You can turn any of your summer or fall races, triathlons or athletic events into a fundraising even for CHaD. For more information go HERE.

Interested in finding out where your donor dollars go? You can read more about the services the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock provides HERE and HERE. We were direct recipients of this care: we frequently used Molly's Place as a place for Jack to relax and play after our two hour drives to the hospital. We were also used the wagons provided by the Child Life program and countless other toys and activities to help occupy Jack while waiting for in his surgeries. And when we arrived in the early morning hours with only our pajamas on, Jack only wearing a t-shirt and a diaper the Child Life staff provided us with all the things we needed to feel as comfortable as possible.