26.2 Miles: Blind runner completes marathon with goal to raise money for retinal research

Having lived with a serious hearing impairment for most of his life, Ed McDaniel thought he’d been dealt his fair share of challenges. Then, in his twenties, he learned that he had a progressive vision-robbing disease called retinitis pigmentosa that would gradually steal his vision. This combination of hearing and vision loss is a disease referred to as Usher syndrome and Ed’s diagnosis with this condition was devastating for him.

“It was very difficult,” he remembers. “I had finally gotten to a point in my life where I was feeling more comfortable with my hearing loss, and then got hit with the news that I was losing my vision. I felt a great sense of loss.” Equally devastating was the fact that Ed’s two brothers were also diagnosed with Usher syndrome.

Ed Running Ridge to Bridge

As time went on, Ed started to notice a gradual decrease in his vision. He remembers the particularly difficult turning points in his vision loss, such as when he gave up driving at age 29 and when he started using a white cane about 10 years ago. “It was difficult starting to use the cane because it was basically a public declaration that I was blind,” he recalls. “There was a period of adjustment, but it took a lot of stress off of me.”

On one of his frequent visits to the Foundation’s website, Ed learned about the Race to Cure Blindness program. Race to Cure Blindness is a unique fundraising program that allows individuals competing in any sort of racing event to raise money for the critical sight-saving research funded by the Foundation. Having been a runner for many years, Ed challenged himself to complete the Ridge to Bridge marathon in North Carolina to raise funds for the Foundation. He set a goal to raise $2,620 — $100 for every mile he would run.

For several months, Ed trained to complete the marathon, which would be his first ever. He gradually increased the distances he ran, white cane in hand. While training, Ed also started working alongside his family to reach out for donations in support of his cause. His two biggest cheerleaders were his wife and his mother. “They were really the ones that started to spread the word to family and friends about what I was doing,” says Ed. They also contacted area newspapers that ran feature articles on Ed, which also helped to promote his challenge. “I started putting posts on Facebook and included links to the Foundation to raise awareness and that was really helpful,” says Ed. He also started visiting local businesses to garner support.

Their efforts paid off – literally – because Ed surpassed his fundraising goal by more than $1,000!  “Looking back on all of the time that I put into it, I felt a great sense of pride after completing the marathon,” says Ed. He hasn’t made plans for his next Race to Cure Blindness effort yet, but he has a friend who would like to join him in racing and fundraising in the future. In the meantime, Ed continues to run for enjoyment and supports the critical work of the Foundation.