Carter's Running of the Hills
Fund Raising event.
In Memory of Carter James Munn
Proceeds benefit: Mott Children's Hositpal of Ann Arbor Michigan &
The Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor
Dear Runners, Sponsors, Volunteers,
Dorothy and I, along with our family, want to thank you for your support in making Carter’s Running of the Hills a success for the past four years!!
As a family we have decided to cancel this year’s race which was scheduled for October 11th. It is our ongoing commitment to support, in different ways, the Ronald McDonald House and University of Michigan Mott’s Children’s Hospital. Again, thank you for your support and please keep these organizations in your thoughts and please donate when you are able.
Jim, Dorothy and the boys
Last years. Sponsors
of West branch
Carter’s Story
August 5, 2008, during a routine ultrasound, near the end of a healthy pregnancy, we learned that our third son, Carter suffered from a serious congenital heart defect (CHD) known as Critical Aortic Stenosis. Carter was born on August 13th, at the U of M Mott Children’s Hospital, three weeks early to allow him to be treated for his heart condition. During the next 52days, while Carter courageously fought his illness, our family experienced a life altering journey with emotions that ranged from overwhelming relieve of being told that surgery was successful to a gut wrenching knowledge that complications exist to ultimately the realization that our son had lost his battle with CHD. Through it all we were supported by an incredible group of medical professionals who dedicate their lives to working with those battling CHD. With our two older sons, who were 5 and 3 years old at the time, the Ronald McDonald House enabled our family the ability to maintain some semblance of normalcy and granted our sons time with their baby brother. We will forever be grateful to those we met at Mott Children’s
Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House.
Jim & Dorothy Munn
CHD Facts
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Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) are the #1 birth defect worldwide
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Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 cause of birth defects related deaths worldwide
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About 1 out of every 100 babies are born each year with some type of CHD in the United States (approx.. 40,000/year)
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Nearly twice as many children die from Congenital Heart Defects in the United States each year from all forms of childhood cancers combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher that funding for CHDs.
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Although some babies will be diagnosed during gestation or at birth, sometimes the diagnosis is not made until days, weeks, months, or even years after. In some cases, a CHD is not detected until adolescence of adulthood.
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It is a proven fact that the earlier CHD is detected and treated; it is more likely the affected child will survive and have less long term health complications.
Source- It’s My Heart Foundation