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Speeding the Pace of Research - Meghan O'Connell
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As a child, Meghan O’Connell developed a close relationship with her father, who was a stay-at-home dad. “When I was little, I just assumed that was normal, but as I grew older, I realized that actually wasn’t the case,” she recalls. Meghan’s father suffered from visual loss due to retinitis pigmentosa that made it difficult for him to work, drive, use a computer or complete many other day-to-day tasks. Meghan’s f
Meghan signed up for the Long Island Marathon, which took place in May 2010. She used the online tools to reach out to friends, family, and co-workers for support. Through her efforts, she discovered that her coworker’s daughter also had retinitis pigmentosa. Some of Meghan’s co-workers were inspired and decided to race with her — one completing the marathon and another group completing the 10K. Together, the group raised over $2,000 for retinal disease research. The Long Island Marathon was Meghan’s first time completing a marathon. “When I was training and I didn’t want to, I thought of all the generous people who helped me,” she remembers. “When I was running, it was extremely emotional. I saw a shirt that said ‘Half for me, Half for my Dad’ and tears came to my eyes. Whenever I wanted to stop, I thought of my father and the struggles he’s had to face.” Meghan plans to complete another Race to Cure Blindness next year. If you have an idea for a race you could turn into a Race to Cure Blindness, getting started is easy. Simply contact the Foundation at 800-683-5555 and we’ll set your event up on www.RacetoCureBlindness.org — from there, you’ll have access to fundraising tips and tools that will help you along the way. You’ll create a personal fundraising page where you can tell others why you chose to Race to Cure Blindness, invite them to donate to your cause, and then watch your fundraising thermometer rise! |
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