Grant Recipients — Run Your Marathon

Caitlyn B.

Caitlyn Barr was born a healthy baby girl on 5-13-11. At the age of 21⁄2 she kept complaining of a headache. The hospital we took her to said it was the flu. She continues complaining so to Riley Hospital we went to. They also said she had the flu. However, there was a doctor there that said something was not right, did MRI, she was diagnosed with AVM -- Arterial Vascular Malformation, they said it was like an aneurysm. As she has gotten older, her health has declined. Her left side has been affected by the AVM. When you look at her, it looks like she has had a stroke. Caitlyn cannot use her left hand at all; it is completely closed tightly. Due to where the AVM is located at, they cannot do surgery. The AVM is deep in her brain. So she had a radiation treatment in August of 2025 to try and shrink it. But since the radiation has declined in some areas. She has had seizures most of her life, this is one of the biggest changes since radiation, the seizures have gotten worse and more frequent. Caitlyn is now in a wheelchair, due to not being able to walk for a long time. She does get tired very quickly. She can't be left alone due to her health problems. She falls quite a bit. In December of 2024, when she was 131⁄2 years old she had back surgery to help with the scoliosis. She has a rod on her back along with 22 screws and plates. Riley Hospital has told us that her AVM is the biggest one in the country. Caitlyn loves people, she can carry on any type of conversation with anyone. She does have issues with learning; she is at first to second grade level. With your help, we are ready to start school at home in a couple of weeks. We do know that things will continue to get worse for her, her saying is "we can get through anything as long as we have each other." One other thing about Caitlyn is she is the sweetest girl I know, not just because I am her grandma, but she is the strongest person I know. She has been through a lot in her 15 years. Our favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Run Your Marathon is honored to support Caitlyn in her marathon with supplies necessary for her to be successful in her homeschool environment.

Benjamin A.

Benjamin experienced a brain injury that resulted in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy, and microcephaly. He has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, meaning all four of his limbs are affected. Benjamin continues to make incredible progress. "We are incredibly grateful for this grant. It is being used to help cover the cost of a physical therapy intensive, where Benjamin will work on skills such as weight bearing, sitting, crawling, balance, and overall mobility. Unfortunately, intensive therapy programs like this are not usually covered by insurance. This grant is helping make this intensive possible for Benjamin. Opportunities like these are often financially out of reach for many families and we are incredibly grateful! Thank you for believing and supporting Benjamin." Run Your Marathon is honored to join Benjamin, his family, and therapist in his marathon. Keep going Benjamin...the sky is the limit!

Tess E.

There are times when I look at my daughter and wonder how I made it through everything that brought me here. Hello, my names Tess and I'm 27 years old and this is my story. I was adopted and spent my childhood moving through multiple foster homes. While other children had the comfort of knowing where they belonged, I spent years feeling like I was searching for a place to call home. My biological mother struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Even after I was removed from her care, I continued to see her through visitations. I loved her and always hoped things would get better, but eventually those visits had to stop because she couldn’t overcome her addiction. As a child, that kind of loss leaves a wound that never completely disappears. My biological father struggled with schizophrenia and severe mental health issues. Today, I live in the house he left behind. Never knowing the day I’ll have to leave. The house is falling apart in many ways, and some days it feels like I’m carrying the weight of every hardship that came before me. But I stay because it’s what I have, and every day I fight to make the best life possible for my daughter. Then, in 2016, my life changed forever. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I underwent brain surgery in July of that year, and although the surgeons did everything they could, they were unable to remove all of it. When I woke up, my life would never be the same. I lost movement on the left side of my face. I had to relearn how to walk. I had to relearn how to eat. I had to relearn how to talk. I had to relearn how to smile. I also became deaf in my left ear. My vision was affected. My balance was affected. To this day, I struggle with symptoms that most people will never see. There are days when the migraines are so severe that they make me vomit. There are days when my vision blurs, when my balance feels off, and when simply getting through the day feels like a battle. The hardest part is knowing that this isn’t over. My brain tumor is recurring. It will continue to grow, and there will likely be more surgeries in my future. Right now, my doctors are monitoring it closely and allowing it to grow as much as safely possible before another operation becomes necessary. Every scan comes with fear. Every appointment comes with uncertainty. I know there will be more challenges ahead. Then on May 15, 2026, my daughter Oakley was born. The moment I saw her, everything changed. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t fighting only for myself anymore. She became my reason. My reason to get up when I’m exhausted. My reason to keep going when I’m scared. My reason to push through the pain, the migraines, the uncertainty, and the struggles. When I look at her, I don’t see everything I’ve lost. I see everything I’ve gained. I didn’t have an easy childhood. I grew up in foster care. I experienced loss, instability, and heartbreak. I’ve battled a brain tumor causing a TBI. survived brain surgery, and continue to face challenges every single day, but my daughter will always know she is loved. She will know that no matter how hard life gets, her mom will never stop fighting for her. Some days I feel overwhelmed. Some days I cry after everyone else has gone to sleep. Some days I wonder how I’m going to make it through the next obstacle. But then I hear Oakley laugh, or I watch her sleep peacefully in my arms, and I remember why I keep going. My story isn’t one of an easy life. It’s a story of surviving things that should have broken me. It’s a story of finding hope after heartbreak. It’s a story of choosing to keep moving forward when giving up would be easier. Most of all, it’s a story about a little girl who gave her mother a reason to believe that the future can be better than the past. No matter what challenges come next, I will keep fighting. For myself. For my future. For Oakley. Because she deserves the childhood I never had, and I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to give it to her.