Lacing Up the HERO Shoes- St. Jude Half Marathon

When 2011 rolled around, I had no idea how much my life was going to change this year.  I always thought it would be SO COOL to be a runner…to just strap on my shoes and hit the road.  I decided to begin doing Couch to 5k with some of my teacher friends towards the end of January.  We met 3 times a week in the frigid, FRIGID cold to begin our walk/run combo for the day.  I can remember thinking, “How will I ever run for 5 minutes straight?!”  Once I did that, I couldn’t imagine 10, 20, and especially 30!  Wow…that seems so long ago!  Since then I’ve run in several 5ks and put countless miles on my shoes for these overpronating feet!  (I didn’t know what THAT meant 7 months ago, either!)  Running has changed my life!  It has been one of the single most rewarding things I’ve ever done for myself.  It takes a lot of motivation, but it has also GIVEN me a lot of motivation.

I have plans for a couple of 5ks and a 10k this fall, but I’m MOST looking forward to running the St. Jude Half Marathon!!!!  I know…I can’t even believe those words are coming out of this girl’s mouth.  The only “marathon” I’ve ever known is a Jack Bauer filled 24 Marathon, complete with a sweet tea and cookies!  Those days are over, folks!  (ok, ok…I’m not going to completely give up 24—or cookies for that matter!)  I am SO looking forward to running those 13.1 miles, and  I'm honestly pretty excited to train for them as well.

Last night, I finally got the information to create my page to begin collecting donations to help support St. Jude.  Wow…I’ve always been impressed by what I’ve heard about this place, but it really hit home with me last night.  I hope that you’ll take a moment to visit www.stjude.org to read some of these interesting facts.  Most people are aware of the fact that patients at St. Jude don’t have to pay what their insurance doesn’t cover.  No child is ever turned away due to the lack of their own personal funding!  How amazing is this?!  Did you know that it costs 1.3 MILLION DOLLARS to run St. Jude for just one day?!  JUST ONE DAY!  They really depend on the donations they get from companies, teams, and everyday people like you and me.

I hate asking people for anything, especially money.  I feel more at ease in asking for your help in this endeavor because it’s not for me or about me…it’s for the children of St. Jude!  I have chosen to raise a minimum of $500 in my efforts as a St. Jude Hero.  I think this is a totally attainable goal and I know that this can be achieved with the help of you, my friends.  If every person who reads this post gives 5 dollars, I know that my goal could be reached by tomorrow.  If every Facebook friend that I have gave a quarter or 2, this goal could be reached within an hour! HAHA! 

Are YOU willing to be a hero for the children of St. Jude?  You can choose to make a one-time donation OR make monthly payments.  Please visit www.mystjudeheroes.org/bhiggins to make your donation.  They accept debit/credit (which is easiest because you can do it on my site) and check and you can even get documentation for your taxes!  No amount is too small!  Although money is what makes this place run, God is who heals these sick children.  I ask for you to keep me in your prayers as I begin training, but ESPECIALLY PRAY for the sweet little lives that are affected by cancer and other childhood diseases and the doctors who tend to them.

Running for them through Him,

Brittany Higgins

WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES

Physical therapy per hour: $360

One day of oxygen: $435

Average cost per inpatient per day: $5,593

ICU daily room rate (room only): $2,950

Average cost per outpatient visit per day: $2,446

Platelet count test: $44

Complete blood count: $55

Chest x-ray, one view: $ 136