Dana & Sarah - Marathon Honoring Evan & Owen

Dear family, friends, and colleagues...

We want to share some upcoming news with you that is very close to our hearts. We have registered for the Honolulu Marathon this coming December 14th in honor of two of our dear friends from college. We are running this marathon in honor of their two sons, Evan and Owen, to raise funds to find a cure for Leigh's Disease and Juveline Type 1 Diabetes. We plan to give 100% of the donations to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. We hope you will help us reach our goal of raising $5,000 for each cause (for a total of $10,000). Please help us to achieve our goal and know that each mile we run is for something much bigger than all of us.

Our two friends, Dena and Lori, have endured major heartache and tragedy and they've given us the courage to run....

Dena Hollar suffered the worst tragedy that a parent can suffer this past June 17th, 2008 when her 3-year-old son, Owen, was taken by a rare affliction called Leigh's Disease (a Mitochondrial Disease). Owen was born completely healthy, and he did not start having symptoms until he was 18 months old. He lost certain skills such as walking, sitting, eating, and talking, and in spite of his disease, people were drawn to Owen because of his ability to keep smiling and his beautiful blue eyes. Leigh's Disease is a progressive neurometabolic disorder with a general onset in infancy or childhood, often after a viral infection, but it can also occur in teens and adults. The prognosis for Leigh's Disease is poor; depending on the defect, individuals typically only live for a few years to their mid-teens. Every thirty minutes a child is born that will develop mitochondrial disease by the age of 10, and yet there is no cure for Leigh's Disease. We will run on December 14th, and we ask you to please honor Owen's memory by helping us to find a cure.

Lori Wamstad deals with a different challenge. She endures the constant daily worry and struggle of taking care of her 3-year-old son, Evan, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Type I Diabetes on his 2nd birthday. Evan has had to grow up incredibly fast in order to fight to be healthy, and he is a true example of courage and strength, including testing himself several times daily to ensure that he doesn't slip into a diabetic coma. Each year over 15,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. That's 40 children per day. While treatment with insulin is life saving, it is not a cure. Our hope is that one day a cure will be found, and you can help us honor little Evan by making a contribution.

Please honor these families and donate by clicking on the "Donate" button.

We thank you in advance for your support.

Warmly,
Dana & Sarah

Again, 100% of your donations will be given to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.

From the Parents of Owen Michael Hollar

Owen was a wonderfully sweet, happy little boy who was born a healthy child. As he grew, he reached typical milestones and loved being with his big brother and family. When Owen was 18 months old he began to lose skills. He had difficulty walking and standing, and began to lose muscle control. After many invasive tests, including an MRI, lumbar puncture, two muscle biopsies and blood work, Owen was diagnosed with Leigh’s Disease.

Leigh’s Disease is a type of mitochondrial disease which affects energy. The lack of energy production can cause damage to the brain, muscles, heart and kidneys. Tragically, Leigh’s Disease has a poor prognosis. Owen was on medication which attempted to manage the disease, but he continued to rapidly regress.

There is currently no cure for any type of mitochondrial disease. Despite the difficult journey, Owen continued to smile and brighten the lives of all those who met him. He is missed more than any words could ever express.

With Love,
The Hollars

In Memoriam of Owen Michael Hollar

Owen Michael Hollar, 3, of Harrisonburg died Tuesday June 17, 2008, at the Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg. Owen was born Dec. 29, 2004, in Norfolk, Va.

He is survived by his parents, Travis Michael and Dena Carrier Hollar of Harrisonburg. He attended the Pre-school program at South River Elementary School in Grottoes.

Owen was diagnosed with Leigh's Disease, a form of Mitochondrial Disease, two years ago. His courage battling this illness brought family, friends and community together giving the entire family a sense of strength. Owen could light up a room with his bright smile and big, blue eyes.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by a brother, Andrew "Drew" L. Hollar, age 5; maternal grandparents, Raymond and Wanda Carrier of Mount Sidney; paternal grandparents, Michael and Shelby Hollar of Edinburg; a great-grandfather, Eugene McIlwee; great-grandmother Ruth Hollar; two aunts and uncles, Chad and Michelle Carrier Sligh and Matthew and Stacey Hollar Smith. His three surviving cousins, Lynsey and Cole Sligh and Madison Smith shared lots of smiles and giggles with Owen.

He was loved by his entire family and will be missed by all who knew him.

From the Parents of Evan Wamstad

Our son, Evan, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on his second birthday. Since then, Evan's life has changed dramatically as well as our family's in everything we do. His daily fight to stay healthy is a true reminder of our little boy's will to live. Evan is our hero and we feel blessed to have him in our lives. Our biggest hope is that one day a cure will be found. We are writing to ask for your support because now more than ever, EACH of us can be a part of bringing about a cure. Each of us can make a real difference and together, we can make the cure a reality.

Thank you,
The Wamstads