Miles for Maddy 2009

Join us as we work together to complete a marathon and help Madison!

Want to run a Marathon? Want to help Madison? Want free coaching and advice? Want a support team? Want to make a difference? Sign up with Miles for Maddy and get the team discount! Choose Miles for Maddy as your team and use this coupon code - MILESMADDYMAR09 - $10 discount on ING Georgia Marathon entries through 3/18/09

The journey of thousand miles begins with one step...There have been a total of 138,375 steps taken for Madison's benefit in Marathon Miles. YOU can add to the 'Marathon Miles for Madison' by running in any marathon, 1/2 Marathon or 5K of your choice and collecting 'per mile' donations for Maddy.

How to Donate

You may contribute by donating a one time amount or donate by the mile.

Read How it All Got Started...

My niece, Madison, is miraculously almost 6 years old. She was born with DiGeorge syndrome, a small deletion in her 22nd chromosome that has caused over 50 separate diagnoses. She has spent 50% of her life at Children’s Health Care of Atlanta at Egleston trying to survive being immune deficient, yet her biggest obstacle thus far was having 4 defects in her small, strawberry sized heart, repaired in open-heart surgery. She was 3 weeks old and only 5lbs at the time of the surgery. Her first year of life was very uncertain and numerous times since then our family has been warned to “prepare” ourselves for the worst. The one person who never gives up or loses hope is Madison.

Her perseverance through countless operations and set backs never ceases to amaze anyone who meets her or knows her story. When she is at home and not in the hospital, with her parents and big brother Benjamin, she spends 3 days per week in rehabilitation trying tirelessly to learn new skills to improve the quality of her life.

Madison, like many other children suffering from a life threatening illness, has an amazing ability to bring people together for a common goal. Starting at 3 weeks old and only 5 pounds, she began demonstrating lessons in perseverance, will, determination, and faith. Madison is a gift to all of those who meet her and a constant reminder of the strength that each of us possesses and can draw upon when life seems to dish out more than we can handle. Her story has opened many people’s eyes to the importance making the most out of each and every day. Her situation has reminded us all to have gratitude for even the smallest of things that we might normally take for granted, such as spending a night in our own bed or sitting down to a meal and having the whole family present.

Not by her struggles alone, but more importantly, by her dignity and grace while over coming obstacles, she has truly reshaped lives and restored a Faith in each of us. In 2003, while praying for Madison to get well, I remember saying to God, “if there is any way for me to give Madison my health and strength, please let it be done." Everyone that knew of Madison’s struggle searched for ways to give this little girl the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life. As I thought about how I could help my sister and her family cope with some of the financial burdens, due to the endless amounts of co-payments for the seemingly endless medications Madison has been placed on, coupled with the notion of somehow “passing” on my health to Madison, an opportunity presented itself to me that seemed to bring some of the pieces together in easing the burden.

In 2004, one of my long term martial arts students serving in the US Army phoned me and asked me if I would like to go to New Mexico to participate in military type “running event.” This student, being one of my most senior Black Belts, was brought up in my dojo under the mindset that, as a warrior, in addition to your regular training routine, it is important to often “test your spirit” and step outside the box and push yourself harder than ever before. The warrior trains everyday to prepare for battle. Battle can be translated into conflict and this conflict does not only mean a physical conflict with another person, but also refers to conflicts with disease, stress, etc. By training everyday, we forge our spirit and strengthen our resolve as we learn more about ourselves and proactively train for any type of conflict.

My daily workout routine includes a number of different strength and conditioning exercises, but I certainly do not consider myself a runner and had never attempted a marathon before, so this upcoming event seemed like it would take me outside of my comfort zone…way outside! The distance of the run was intimidating enough, as I began to research the event I started to uncover some details that were apparently left out when I was asked to participate. The “run” that I was to participate in was the Bataan Memorial Death March. This race is a 26.2 mile run through the desert sands of New Mexico at altitudes of 4,100 to 5,300 feet.

Because the run commemorated the soldiers that marched Baatan in World War II, we were registered in the “heavy division,” which meant we each had to carry a 35-pound backpack for the entire race. The race included an 8 mile incline and a sand pit that was supposed to be a mile and a half and turned out to be more like three. As I started to physically prepare for the race, with only ninety days left, I realized that this was going to be a tremendous undertaking. As I struggled with the training for this event, I simply had to remind myself of what Madison had to endure on a daily basis. Since the first week of her life she has overcome insurmountable odds and defied every doctor, specialist, and surgeon as she has continued to fight for her life, the whole time with a smile on her face.

I thought about how many times our family was at the end of their rope, ready to give up and not knowing what to do, and then walking into the Intensive Care Unit to visit this little baby enduring unbelievable amounts of pain, and smiling at us, as if she was the strong one reminding us to not give up and that everything was going to be o.k. It was humbling to say the least. The amazing thing to me is that we are born with such a strong will to survive. A 3 week old baby is not developed mentally, has no formal education and has no experience to draw from, but we watched Madison, all five pounds of her, fight to survive with more spirit than any one could ever imagine.

Madison’s warrior spirit impacted me more than any of the lessons I had learned in all of my years of training in martial arts, all of the competitive sports I have participated in and all of the Masters and coaches I have been fortunate enough to train under.

As we thought about how to directly assist Madison and her family, we formed “Marathon Miles for Maddy.” We established a web page www.madisonfaith.com to keep all of her family and fans all over the world updated on her progress. Anyone, anywhere in the world, can run a ½ or whole Marathon in Madison’s honor and help raise funds by collecting per mile donations. 100% of the money raised goes directly into a fund set up to help cover residual medical costs.

In the past 3 years, so many people have stepped up and made a difference in Madison’s life. The true sprit of love and giving has been evident, on a daily basis, from places one would have never suspected, friends, neighbors, and coworkers have now become family. I encourage anyone interested in participating to join me in doing so. Participants can help Madison by running either a half marathon or a full marathon.
If you would like to participate by making a contribution, visit the Donations page, or click on the button below.

Pete Pukish