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Our Story
August 19, everything began to change. That afternoon the nurse noticed that Brian's belly was distended and didn't look right. They immediately took him for x-rays and soon discovered that he had a total bowel blockage. At this point we were at Champlain Valley Physician's Hospital in Plattsburgh, New York. This was a very small hospital and they were going to have to move him to a bigger hospital in Burlington, Vermont. They packed him up and took him by ambulance for the one hour ride.
August 20th, it was discovered that Brian had Hirschprungs Disease and was going to need surgery immediately. Stan took the ride over and signed for him to go “under the knife” 3 hours later he came out with a colostomy. One week later we were told to take him home, help him to grow, bring him back in 7 months, healthy for corrective surgery. That is what we did. This is when we found the Ronald McDonald House of Burlington, VT. Being a military family, we had no family around to help us or to stay with. We were registered to stay at the house one week, but as people know surgery with babies do not always go as planned. The Ronald McDonald House became our home away from home for one month. That is when our love for the house began. We don't know what we would have done without the house. There were people there who would listen to us and know what we were going though. There were people there who would remind us to eat and provide us with food. The house meant so much to us, that when Brian was well again we began volunteering there. We started out as weekend relief volunteers and would take both the boys with us. We then were on the Board of Governors for the house. In 1992, with much sadness we transferred from the area, and moved to RAF Lakenheath, England. We thought that was going to be last of our volunteering efforts with the house. In 1996 we were once again transferred, this time to Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. As a typical couple of a 9 year old and a 13 year old, we really didn’t have much time to volunteer anywhere. But we never stopped thinking about the house.
December 3, 2011 as Stan and I were participating in the St. Jude Half Marathon, we thought what a great way tohonor Brian and to help other families, and that is how the Brian Valley Memorial 5K +1 came to be. We are asking people to go the extra mile to help others. It is a little different, and Brian would want it that way.
With the help of Mayor Fletcher we have been able to get our first annual race on the books. It has not been easy and we have not done it alone. We have a board of 5, plus executive positions. We have worked with the RRCA and have our 501(c) 3 status. Now with the help of people like you we will be able to make this race a success. If you have never had to use a place like the Ronald McDonald House of Arkansas, count your blessings. If you have had to use one, count your blessing also that you had one of these great house's to call home.
