Mom to Gabriel, Propionic Acidemia

​Marisa, mom to Gabriel, Propionic Acidemia planned the most awesome feat – to run in the New York Marathon – below is Marisa’s accounts of the day:

I had to wake up at 5:00 am to be at the Ferry at 6.  Everything closed at 7:30 am and had to wait with all the runners for 3.5 hours until my start time. Really, really cold, no tents, no nothing. Luckily, I had been told to be prepared for the cold (43 degrees) and wore 3 layers of disposable. Everybody wears clothes that you then leave at the start. Volunteers collect them all and give them to charity.  People carried even sleeping bags, blankets or whatever to feel warm.
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The race: FANTASTIC!!!
What an experience. I had the greatest time. The public was awesome, everybody cheering and feeling for you. Children line along the race course to give you high-five, bananas, tissue, candy… whatever they thought it might help. I had so much fun!!!

Statistics: 
TIME: 4:26:01 (all in one piece!)
PLACE: 20932 out of 38356
By gender: 5274 out of 13002 women
By age: 997 out of 7069

Fundraising:
We collected $9,366 for Propionic Acidemia Foundation
and $565 for Organic Acidemia Association

THANK YOU all for your inspiration.
Thanks also to all the families that contributed.
Really, it meant a lot to us.

We were thrilled on how everything work out and it was an amazing experience.

​I am sending a couple of pictures – one of me taken during the run and my “special” shirt for the occasion!

​From the Winter 2009 OAA Newsletter