In Memory of Aidan

Keith & Jessica are old friends of ours from when we lived in Virginia Beach years ago. After we moved away they had a baby, a precious baby boy. He lived for 4 &1/2 hours. We had not been in contact with them at the time, but knew about it through mutual friends. We just recently got back in contact with each other which is such a blessing! Some good friends of theirs are running in the Shamrock Marathon on March 22nd in honor of little Aidan. Below is the information.

In December 2002, my friends Keith and Jessica’s little boy Aidan was born. Sadly, he only lived for 4 ½ hours. His life was shortened because of Trisomy 13, which is also called Patau Syndrome. A trisomy is a genetic disorder/syndrome, chromosome disorder or chromosomal anomaly. A trisomy means an extra chromosome is added to one of the normal pairs that are found in our body’s cells. This extra chromosome causes a pattern of birth defects and medical problems.

And now six years later, Aidan continues to impact my life. He was all I could think about when I started training for the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach, Virginia on March 22nd, 2009.

I decided that I wanted this marathon to mean something more. I have teamed up with Noah’s Never Ending Rainbow to raise money and awareness of Trisomy and chromosomal conditions as well as a way to honor Aidan.

As a little background, the mission of Noah's Never Ending Rainbow is to educate, advocate, raise public awareness, promote strategic alliances and assist families who have children with Trisomy and related chromosome disorders. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.

You are receiving this letter because I have a feeling that you, too, want to be a part of this effort. It is my hope that you will consider donating in honor of Aidan during this race to support Noah's Never Ending Rainbow as they help families just like my friends, Keith and Jessica.

You can easily donate in two ways. You can write a check to Noah's Never Ending Rainbow, with the words “Shamrock Marathon” in the memo line. You can also directly call their office at 262.605.3690 to make a donation by credit card.

If you write a check, it can be sent directly to the following address:

Noah's Never Ending Rainbow
7737 6th Avenue
Kenosha, Wisconsin 53143

Your donation to Noah's Never Ending Rainbow is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law and you will receive a letter of acknowledgment from them for your generous donation.

I am excited that I can honor Aidan and bring awareness when I run on March 22nd. I know that Keith and Jessica, along with the two healthy boys they have had since Aidan, will be there when I cross the finish line. I hope you too will be a part of our finish line celebration through your generous donation.

Thank you in advance for your support,

Jodi Brock

P.S. You can check out these websites for more information:

Run4aidan blog: http://run4aidan.blogspot.com/

Shamrock Marathon: www.shamrockmarathon.com

Noah's Never Ending Rainbow: www.noahsneverendingrainbow.org