I Can...I Will...¡DO!

Have you ever had good intentions to make a positive change in your life, but you just never get around to actually doing it.  Rarely is it because of lack of inspiration or will.  It has to do with fulfillment and sustainability. Every goal has a reason and motivation behind it, but we sometimes have trouble applying the actions to achieve it. Instead of looking at the huge goal or mission as a whole, we must break down the journey into several smaller goals that are achievable on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.  You just have to go from "I Can," and "I Will" to "I Do!"

The phrase "i Do!" was first used after the founder of Shawn's Anomaly, Matthew Murphy, completed his first Ironman triathlon in honor of his son's recovery from three surgeries to repair several congenital anomalies in a statement posted on his blog: 

"I DO" is such a simple phrase but it is so powerful in so many ways. It is powerful enough to confirm the commitment to marriage and powerful enough confirm truth in a court of law. We live in a world of I Can't and I Don't. Some of us get inspired enough to go from the "I Can't" to "I Can", but never get around to doing anything to make that phrase "I DO!" The 1% of the world that has finished an Ironman triathlon, understands the phrase better than most. They don't just not say there were going to do something, they do it. You don't have to finish an Ironman to use this phrase.  You can use it to follow through with any commitment whether to be to finish a race, lose a few pounds, volunteer to help the less fortunate, or just be a better person. I challenge you to change your life mantra to "I DO!  Take the pledge with me:

iDO better myself

iDO better those around me

iDO encourage others that say iDO

iDO help those that are less fortunate

iDO test my boundaries

Shawn's Anomaly's goals are a huge undertaking, but it can be accomplished if we apply this strategy to the ultimate mission: Education, Hope, & Help!

Mahatma Gandhi once said, "We must be the change we want to see in the world," but we can't do it alone.  It takes a collected effort from everyone focused on the same goal. Starting in 2013, we are asking all supporters of Shawn's Anomaly to take a pledge of "iDo!" The pledge is to give $5 to Shawn's Anomaly and share our mission with 5 people asking them to do the same on the 5th of every month for one year.  It is not a large individual commitment, but if we combine all the efforts together the change is HUGE!  At the end of the year you would have given $60 and 60 new people became aware of the mission just because of your commitment. Can you sacrifice $5 and 5 minutes a month to help us achieve the Shawn's Anomaly mission?

Take the one year pledge today by filling out the information below and hitting the "Subscribe!" button.  Don't do it just to help other's, but do it for yourself.  There is nothing to lose, but everything to gain. As appreciation to your commitment, Shawn's Anomaly will send you a reminder email every month and a commitment bracelet to wear proudly as a daily reminder and that shows your commitment to others. Can you take the pledge with us?

 * indicates required

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

Email Format 

html text mobile

Shawn's Anomaly Mission Towards Integrity

In the recent days we have all been witness to the tragic events that have taken place in Connecticut.  As parents and friends, we at Shawn's Anomaly have become way too familiar of how much tragedy can increase venerability of the families that are affected.  We want to send our condolences to those families that have suffered loss. 

Because some people moved give to reputable charities because it is their human nature, there are also predators and con artist that are so willing to take advantage of those who are willing to lend a helping hand. Here is a recent example of a con artist trying to profit from the Connecticut School Shooting as NBC's Jeff Rosen reports:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 http://todaynews.today.com/_news/2012/12/21/16051227-rossen-reports-scammers-try-to-exploit-connecticut-shooting?lite

Sadly this has even hit way to close to home with certain families that we have tried to support through Shawn's Anomaly in 2012.  When the family of Liam Lyon was mourning the loss of their "Little Lion", they were generous enough to allow all of those that were touched by Liam's journey to take part in the memorial service.  Shawn's Anomaly helped broadcast the memorial service online to thousands of homes online live, and we left a recording service up for others to watch that could not watch during the time of the service. Sadly, another predator used that service to take screen shots and solicit donations to the point that we were forced to take down the recording because it was upsetting the family.  The family also had other con artist profiting from the sale of shirts that the family gave to someone who said they would help raise money for and they they never received of the contributions.

During this time of giving and generosity, we felt that it was imperative to reiterate our commitment to integrity and transparency of Shawn's Anomaly.  100% of all donations that are given through our partners Ironman Foundation & Reason2Race are given directly to the Shawn's Anomaly Research Fund that is set up with Texas Children's Hospital to aid with the advancement of medical research and the standardization of an international birth defect registry.  Any Indiegogo pages that are set up by myself, Matthew Murphy, or other verified representatives of Shawn's Anomaly, will from this point will always be fixed funding campaigns that will provide reimbursement back to the original donor if the goals are not met.  An example of this type of campaign is the 2013 Pratt Pack Family Campaign.

We also want to reiterate that we do not push any type of religious agenda.  Congenital anomalies don't see a difference of religion, denomination, creed, color, or origin, they affect everyone without prejudice.  Even though most of the leaders are Christian, Shawn's Anomaly does not have any any religious or political affiliations in efforts to avoid not being able to help all deserving families. 

We understand the skepticism that you may have regarding non-profit organizations, and Shawn's Anomaly will do everything we can to provide you with adequate evidence that our mission is not to profit from your giving.  You have our promise that our mission is help those families are affected by the 1 in 30 children born with congenital anomalies and change how the world views the leading cause of infant deaths.

Happy holidays from all of us at Shawn's Anomaly to all of you!

Article Defining Congenital Anomalies

A congenital anomaly may be viewed as a physical, metabolic, or anatomic deviation from the normal pattern of development that is apparent at birth or detected during the first year of life... More>>

Initial Research Shows Possible link to Excessive Intake of Vitamin A to Congenital Anomalies

...a variety of gross congenital anomalies are produced which include: encephaly, eye malformations, cleft palate, shortening of the mandible and maxilla, spina bifida with meningocele and hydrocephalus... See More>>

Ionizing Radiation Linked To Congenital Anomalies

Ionizing radiation is known to cause harm in mammalian organisms... See More>>

A rare association of major congenital malformations : a case report

Congenital abnormalities may be structural, behavioral, functional or metabolic disorders that
are present at birth. In most developed countries, statistics indicate that major structural anomalies are
present in 2%-3% of live-borne infants. Congenital anomalies account for 21% of infant mortality.  <<See More>>

THE EMBRYOLOGICAL BASIS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR CONGENITAL ABNORMALITIES

Click to see research article

http://isc.temple.edu/marino/embryology/heart98/abnorm_text.htm

Girl born with urinary bladder outside her body | GulfNews.com

Girl born with urinary bladder outside her body | GulfNews.com

Choose Shawn's Anomaly as your Reason2Race at the Woodlands Marathon

Click Logo To Set Up Your Fundraising Page

The Woodlands Marathon consists of several running distance events including a Full Marathon (26.2 miles), Half-Marathon (13.1), a Marathon Relay (Team Event), 5K Run (3.2 Miles) & 2K Family Fun Run/Walk (1.24 Miles).  Participants of all ages and experience are going to participate along side of each other and great for the whole family.  

Shawn's Anomaly is honored to be one of the participating foundations that will foundations in The Woodsland Marthon way of giving back: The Launch Charity Challenge

The Launch Charity Challenge program is an avenue for participants to challenge themselves in their athletic goals by sharing their racing journey with family, friends and community. Sharing goals makes them a reality, and with this challenge, we are committed that your finish line success becomes just that – a reality! As you train for and compete in The Woodlands 5K, Half or Full Marathon, you also get to make a difference in children and families through Shawn's Anomaly by spreading awareness and raising funds with Reason2Race^®, our athlete profile partner and online fundraising service provider.

We invite you to take the challenge, and watch how making a difference for other will make a difference for you!

How the Launch Charity Challenge works:

• There is NO cost to participate

• There are NO minimum fundraising requirements to participate*

• We encourage you to shoot for a high goal: at least $1,000

• Online donations: After setting up your Reason2Race fundraising page, you can receive online donations by emailing your Reason2Race page link to family and friends to share your race journey and invite them to support your cause.

• Offline donations: You can raise offline funds via check or cash. These contributions must be tracked and recorded through your Reason2Race fundraising page.

Program Rules and Requirements:

1. Complete your race registration. Participating athletes must be registered for The Woodlands 5K, Half or Full Marathon or Marathon Relay. Race entries are not provided through Launch Multisport or The Woodlands Marathon.
2. Fundraising. An athlete may begin fundraising only AFTER they have an official entry into The Woodlands 2K Run/Walk, 5K, Half or Full Marathon.  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
3. Collect and track donations. Launch Multisport & The Woodlands Marathon do not collect any funds for the Launch Charity Challenge.  Online donations can be made via your Reason2Race fundraising page. All checks must be made payable to the charity for which you are racing.  The athlete is responsible for sending offline donations (cash or checks made payable directly to the charity) to his/her charity within two weeks following the race.  All offline donations (cash and checks) must be tracked using the athlete’s Reason2Race page/account, the official athlete donation tracking system.
4. Award eligibility: The fundraising cutoff for prize eligibility is 12 NOON, THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE. Final determination of fundraising awards will be made following Reason2Race LLC verification process. *Athletes must raise a minimum of $100 to qualify for any level award.

The following awards will be provided to the charity of the highest fundraisers:

2013 Charity Challenge Prize Purse
1st place fundraiser	$3,000
2nd place fundraiser	$2,000
3rd place fundraiser	$1,000
Next 20 fundraisers	$500 each ($10,000)
Next 20 fundraisers	$100 each ($2,000)

Thank you for considering taking the Launch Charity Challenge. We are confident if you do, your race experience will be like no other!

Are you ready to join the Fundraising Team and "Launch" your journey?  It just takes a press of the button in 3...2...1...

Click the Button Above Then Click "Join Team" 

For questions, please email info@reason2race.com

Water Disinfection By-Products and the Risk of Congenital Anomalies in Kaunas

Abstract

There is growing evidence from epidemiological studies that maternal exposure to increased drinking water chlorination by-products – THM may be associated with congenital anomalies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of maternal exposure during pregnancy to individual THM internal dose effect on the risk of congenital anomalies.
We conducted a population-based prospective study of 3074 Kaunas residents births in 2007–2009 using THM exposure estimated as internal dose. We used multivariate logistic regression analysis and compared the risk of any congenital anomalies in four exposure categories of THM internal dose quartiles. In addition, we conducted a linear regression models analysis with adjustment for maternal physiological, lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristics.
Effect estimates based on total THMs and chloroform quartiles, tended to increase congenital anomalies risk but there were no statistically significant effect. However, we found dose–response relationships for the bromodichloromethane (BDCM) internal dose and risk for any congenital anomalies. The adjusted odds ratio for fourth quartile vs. first quartile was 1.5, 95% CI 1.00–2.55. The OR per every 0.01 μg/d increase in BDCM internal dose was 1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.07. Effect estimates associated with dibromochloromethane (DBCM) exposure levels also revealed statistically significant association with the congenital anomalies risk (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.02-1.48). 
The present study suggests that prenatal exposure to total THM have tendency to increase the risk of any congenital anomalies, while exposure to BDCM and DBCM statistically significantly increases the risk of any congenital anomaly.

Keywords

drinking water by-products; THM; internal dose; congenital anomalies

Full Text: PDF 

Print ISSN: 1392-1649 
Online ISSN: 2029-2139

David Goldmeyer Takes 2nd at Houston Triathlon for Team Shawn's Anomaly

It was not a great day for a triathlon with high winds and rain, but that did not stop David Goldmeyer from standing proudly on the podium after placing 2nd in the Onurmark Giving Challenge at the Houston Triathlon.  Check out the video of the awards:




Onurmark added an additional $500 to the $800 that David raised giving him a total of $1,300 raised in his Reason2Race campaign for Shawn's Anomaly.  Way to go David!  You are a true hero to so many.

Race for Shawn's Anomaly at Monster Mash 10/28/2012

Onurmark Productions have chosen Shawn's Anomaly as one of their Onurmark Giving Challenge charities this year for their final race: The Monster Mash Run on Saturday, October 27, 2012. Participants and volunteers can sign up to help raise money for Shawn's Anomaly while being a part of the great event where you get to dress up in your favorite costume.


Onurmark believes in giving athletes of all levels a competitive advantage, and we encourage you to strive for and reach your peak level of performance. This season, in addition to providing you an excellent racing experience, Onurmark is excited to support your racing success in yet another way.  They invite you to participate in the Onurmark Giving Challenge.

Onurmark has found that there is at least one characteristic that all athletes share, the desire to reach our finish line. Most often we have different motivations for doing so, yet we all have the same end result in mind – reaching the finish line. Participating in the Onurmark Giving Challenge will provide you yet another way to reach that goal. Through this challenge, you will be able to share your racing goal with your friends, family and community – perhaps in a way you never have before. You make them part of your success. You experience what most of us have at one point or another - sharing your goals with others makes them happen!


With this challenge, we invite you to choose Shawn's Anomaly as your Reason2Race for the Monster Mash Run. Let racing for Shawn's Anomaly make a difference for you! Whatever your goal is for this run: doing your 5K or 10K, beating last year’s time,setting your Personal Record (PR) – whatever it may be, take the Onurmark Giving Challenge and share your goal with your community and friends. Watch how including others in your journey has your success become a reality!


1. Watch the following video about racing for Shawn's Anomaly:

2. Register For the distance for the event that you choose to compete in, click on the logo below (You can choose any of the events at these races including 5K, 10K, 15K or Candy Corn Kids K:

3. Join Team Shawn's Anomaly by clicking on the logo below then clicking "Join Team" under the race you registered for to set up your fund raising page. There is NO fundraising minimum, so when you set up and customize your race donation page (For an example,see David's Page ), we encourage you to set your goal high ($1000 or more); because there is nothing to lose and so much to gain.  Click the link below to set up your page:

4.  Send a link to your page to all of your friends, family, co-workers, etc.  It allows you to share about your race and your added motivation to train and cross the finish line.  Letting your community know about your goals will add a new level of accountability and determination to your training.  One those day you don't want to do the long swims, bike rides or runs, knowing your community is supporting your endeavors will give you the strength to "get it done"!

On race day look for our team tent where you can tell all of your supporters they can hang out and meet you after the race.  We will have refreshments and more information about Shawn's Anomaly for all those that are interested.

Dress up in your best costume and we will see you there!  This will be a really fun event, the weather should be great, and there will be plenty of candy and laughter.  Hope to see you there. 

Introducing The Pratt Family

Jason and Amy Pratt have been blessed with five beautiful children: Spencer (8), MacKenzie (6), Quinten (5), Bryton (3), & Kyden (20 mos).   They have thousands of pictures filled with laughter and smiles documenting their lives.  It is hard to believe that 4 of the 5 children deal with some type of congenital anomaly.

Spencer was diagnosed at 7 days old as having an H-type trachea-esohagel fistula. A fistula, from the Latin meaning ‘a pipe,’ is an abnormal connection running either between two tubes or between a tube and a surface. In tracheo-esophageal fistula it runs between the trachea and the esophagus. This connection may or may not have a central cavity; if it does, then food within the esophagus may pass into the trachea (and on to the lungs) or alternatively, air in the trachea may cross into the esophagus. and had his first surgery to repair the defect he spent 4.5 months in the NICU.  He was also diagnosed with a a fundoplication.  In a fundoplication the gastric fundus (upper part) of the stomach is wrapped, or plicated, around the lower end of the esophagus and stitched in place, reinforcing the closing function of the lower esophageal sphincter. The esophageal hiatus is also narrowed down by sutures to prevent or treat concurrent hiatal hernia, in which the fundus slides up through the enlarged esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm.  As of today Spencer has had 11 major surgeries and countless procedures and still suffers with chronic acute asthma, scoliosis, cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, pervasive developmental disorder , sensory processing disorder, strabismis, and VPI.

MacKenzie was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD) — sometimes referred to as a hole in the heart — is a type of congenital heart defect in which there is an abnormal opening in the dividing wall between the upper filling chambers of the heart (the atria).  She was also born with a ventricular septal defect . VSD is a defect in the wall dividing the left and right ventricles of the heart.  This gave Mackenzie a three level murmur, but thankfully as of last December, the hole has closed up without surgical intervention.

Quinten was born with Wolfe Parkinson White Syndrome which is a heart condition in which there is an abnormal extra electrical pathway of the heart. The condition can lead to episodes of rapid heart rate.  The condition was surgically repaired in July of 2012 as well as a hernia that was repaired in August.  Quinten also has chronic acute asthma and is suspected to have Autism.  They are currently looking for a doctor that can help him.

Bryton was born with another type of trachea-esohagel fistula  similar to Spencer calledType C TE Fistula and an Esophageal Atresia.  An EA occurs in approximately 1 in 4425 live births and represents a failure of the esophagus to develop as a continuous passage; instead, it ends as a blind pouch.  Bryton had the first of six surgeries at less than 24 hrs old  and he spent his first 3 weeks of his life in the NICU before he was released to come home.  Since has fought human respiratory syncytial virus many times and a of pnemonia that lasted a year.  Bryton also has reflux, asthma, tethered cord,  Spina bifita oculta, and other neurological defects.

Kyden so far is healthy with the exception to an allergy to red food dye.

To prevent their kids from getting sick and to be able to travel for medical care wherever that may lead, Jason and Amy homeschool their children to prevent them having getting behind in their education.  The life, vacations and travel are all scheduled around some medical procedure or situation.

Even with all of the adversities that have affected their life, Amy still spends countless hours trying to help other families by hosting events where families that are going through the same things can get together and help each other out.  

Team Shawn’s Anomaly member, Shauna Hall, will be honoring the Pratt family as she competes in the Ironman Austin 70.3 on October 28^th, 2012.  Matthew is also honored to dedicate the Ironman New Orleans 70.3 to the Pratt family during his challenge to complete every Ironman in the US in 2013.  The Pratt Family's story will be highlighted in all media interviews for that event and their story will be 1 of the 12 highlighted in the Shawn's Ironman Documentary.  All money raised during the New Orleans IM 70.3 and any money dedicated to the Pratt family during on the www.indiegogo.com/im365usa1 fundraising page will go to pay for medical treatments for their children.  We hope you will join us in welcoming the Pratt's to the Shawn's Anomaly family. 

Liam Lyon's Memorial Service Video Taken Down (Statement From Shawn's Anomaly)

Liam Lyon's family has been extremely generous with their privacy to allow the world in and become aware of the little "Lyon Heart's" conditions and journey, so it was no surprise that they wanted everyone around the world to have the opportunity to take part in the memorial services.  I, Matthew Murphy, felt very honored that I had the knowledge to be able to broadcast the service live via my laptop and a couple of webcams that I owned.  It was a beautiful service, and I know that many people were able to witness this because we live in a great world of modern technology.

Unfortunately the family's generosity was taken advantage of, and several unauthorized pages started to pop up on social media sites that took screen shots of the memorial service.  Some of the pages were not created in a malicious manner but others were to take advantage of grieving supporters of Liam.  Since that time, we, at Shawn's Anomaly, have made every effort to help the family prevent any future abuse by taking down the link to the memorial service video.

I can, however, tell you by statistics that nearly 30,000 people were able to watch the memorial service.  That was very encouraging to me considering that Liam's continued legacy to touch hearts was still being carried out.  We received several emails and messages of appreciation from all over the world.  I will continue to always remember that and never let the negative jade the journey of Liam Lyon.

Liam's story is about triumph, overcoming adversity, and proving that miracles do happen.  Liam is a very special child in all of our lives.  Without one word spoken, Liam, had all of us captive.  Although he was born with half of a heart, it was larger than anyone else's I have ever come to know.  He truly was an angel among us during the 18 months of his life.  He will be missed physically, but his legacy and memory will continue to be carried with us for eternity.  As Elton John has so eloquently sung so many times, "The candle burned out long before, the legend ever will."

Nanci Tankersley (Liam's Grandmother) has expressed interest that she plans to help me, Matthew Murphy, honor Liam and others during my 2013 attempt to complete every full Ironman in the US plus 2-1/2 Ironman distances to build awareness for congenital anomalies, but only after she, and the family, have had time to decompress from being on the amazing journey they have been on.

I ask to all that you please now take the time to honor the family's privacy until they are ready to speak out and continue Liam's Legacy.  There obviously needs to be a time of grief for all of us, but it needs to be a time of private and individual grief instead of public grief.  In the meantime I encourage you also to do as a supporter, Donna, has done and explained in her own words:

Thank you for running the Ironman for Shawn and others and thank you for sharing your Ironman adventure. It has (pushed) me off my couch and onto the walking trail (something I have needed). You and Liam have become the catalyst to take me from my fear of exercise (due to severe joint and muscle pain) to a desire to move past that pain to a healthier me for my grandchildren and myself. I walked my first mile today

Thank you so much for your continued support of the Liam Lyon family and Shawn's Anomaly, and we hope that we can continue to provide support, encouragement, and awareness to others all over the world.

In Memory of Liam Lyon

William Elijah Lyon (Liam)
2/18/2011-9/3/2012

We just received the sad news that Liam Lyon is no longer with us.  We received the message from the family tonight just before 8:00pm CST.

Liam, was born with half of a heart 18 months ago, and he spent most of his life in several hospitals.  The condition is known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome.  It is a rare congenital condition where the left side of the heart doesn't develop properly.  Although Liam was born 5 weeks early, he was the perfect size weighing 6 lbs and measuring 19 inches long.  

At six months old Liam underwent a heart transplant that gave him the best chance for survival, but a series of complications occurred following his transplant.  He showed several signs of recovery and was even released once in March of this year, but he unfortunately was rushed back to the hospital only a few days later to be intubated.  

We were introduced to the family in June with hopes to help him get transferred to Texas Children's Hospital from Tulsa St. Francis. Unfortunately, the transfer never came through for him, but there was one doctor in Cincinnati that was willing to give the "Lyon Heart" one more chance just recently.  Sadly, the transfer came too late, and Liam's body was already in the process of breaking down.

Liam's story had been followed by thousands of people and having more Facebook friends than most people would meet in a full lifetime.  His story helped all of us become aware of his condition and other congenital anomalies.  He was a fighter, he touched all of us, and we are all better for knowing him. 

Liam's story will be one of the stories highlighted in the Shawn's Ironman 365 USA Challenge in 2013 and one of the Ironman competitions will be in his memory.  We are all saddened to hear of Liam's passing, but we know that his name and story will continue on!

For those who would like to contribute to Liam's funeral expenses go to the following link:

http://liamlyon.chipin.com/liam-lyon

Update from Liam Lyon's Family:

Many of you are searching for a way to help our family through donation for (Liam's) Celebration of Live Services.  There is an account established for Liam at:

Simmons First National Bank In Ft. Smith, AR where donations can be accepted.  This can be done by a direct donation to any Simmons Bank in Arkansas to the William Elijah Lyon acct.

For wire transfer the routing number is: 082900432

Direct checks can be sent to Paul Tankersley (Liam's Great Grandfather):

23443 Shoup Rd

Cameron, OK 74932

Donations can also be made via PayPal: iloveliamlyon@yahoo.com
Please mark the Pay Pal donation as a personal gift

Thank you,

The Family of Liam Lyon

Update 9/8/2012:

Please remember that the Liam Lyon Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be broadcast live via www.shawnsanomaly.org on Sunday, September 9th, 2012.  To watch click on the Liam Lyon Memorial Celebration of Life Memorial Service Tab.  In the meantime we have recently added a tribute video for your viewing.

Update 10/10/2012:  Liam Lyon's legacy and story will be continued to be told through Matthew Murphy's challenge complete every Ironman in the US in 2013.  Matthew has dedicated the Ironman Texas on May 18th to tell Liam's story.  To support this effort go to www.indiegogo.com/im265usa1

An Interview With Team SA's Garrett Oakley

In the past Garrett Oakley completed many triathlons, 5k's, etc.  Every time he trained for these events all of his energies were for himself, whether it be for beating a goal he set or beating the guy running next to him, but by his own submission, "Its always been about me.  Now that I am apart of Team Shawn's Anomaly my attitude has changed from me to them.  Granted I still will train for PR (personal records) and getting better, I now have a true reason to race."

Check out his interview about his experience:

Run A 5K For Shawn's Anomaly at The Color Run 11/11/2012

For Monster Mash Click on Logo:

Click Logo

Shawn's Anomaly Supporters, Jason & Ashley Neumann, have decided they are going to dedicate a really fun 5K race to raising money for our goal.  This race looks like a lot fun and we are going to plan on filming the race of all of those that participate.  They are looking for others to join their team.

Come Join Us For the Fun!!!

For those that sign up for the race and a Reason 2 Race fundraiser page you will receive 50% off of a white "Shawn's Anomaly Shirt" that you can get paint all over! (Normally $16)

Here is how to sign up:

1. Watch the video about our cause CLICK HERE!

2. REGISTER for The Color Run 5K (Sign up as Team Shawn's Anomaly)

3. Start your Fundraising Page CLICK HERE  (Click on The Color Run-Houston)

Remember that there is not any cost to start a page and there are no minimums, so we recommend that you aim high (at least $1,000).  The higher you aim the bigger the donations you will receive.

We will have the team tent at the event where you, family members and friends can come hang out, grab refreshments, and party!  Looking forward to seeing you there.

We Need Divine Intervention...Please Help!

Liam (www.iloveliamlyon.org) recently was diagnosed with a hole in his esophagus that really needs surgery, but because of his condition the hospital, he is currently in, deems the surgery too risky.  They have asked for a transfer to Texas Children's Hospital, but Dr. Dreyer and his team of doctors have to choose to accept Liam and the responsibility of getting him to TCH.  They are making this decision tomorrow, and I must say that the chances are minimal that they will accept Liam.  I would not fault them if they did decide not to take Liam, but I am hope they surprise me.  

I pray that God places a burden on these doctors hearts, specifically Dr. Dryer, to take the chance and get Liam to Texas Children's Hospital.  Texas Children's Hospital is known for being one of the best in the world for these types of cases, so the family really wants him here.  Texas Children's Hospital may not have the capacity to save little Liam, but they will give him the greatest chance of survival.  It would also be good on the family since most of them live here in the Houston area.  They only way to get him here is through prayer and God's intervention.

Please pray specifically for Dr. Dryers decision tomorrow.  I will post any updates as we receive them.

Taking Steps For Liam Lyon

Below is a story published on April 26th, 2012 by Rachel McNeil of KPRC.  Please read and see how Shawn's Anomaly is helping this family:

William Lyon of Tulsa, Okla., nicknamed "Liam," has spent nearly every day of his 14 months of life inside a hospital. But he has nearly 40,000 friends on Facebook pulling for him.

Susan started Liam's main Facebook page, "I Love Liam Lyon," to keep friends and family around the country informed.His great-aunt, Susan Pickle, of Friendswood, told Local 2, "A lot of people have been on there. There's been a lot of people praying for him, and then it's just kind of snowballed on me."

Liam was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. It's a rare congenital condition where the left side of the heart doesn't develop properly.

Among other surgeries, Liam had a heart transplant when he was 5 months old.

The family thought he was out of the woods, but he developed more complications.

Pickle explained, "Currently, he is having problems with fluid balance in his belly. He's retaining fluid. He's got some breathing issues with his lungs and he's got some kidney issues."

His family said they've been told that doctors at the Tulsa hospital where Liam is now, can't do anything more to help him.

But they refuse to give up.

They're trying to find a team of specialists in the Texas Medical Center who will agree to oversee the high level of care he needs.

Pickle said, "The boy's got a chance if he can do that. He's strong and he's proven time and time again that he can come back and, you know, we want a chance to give him that chance."

Pickle said, "There's some kind of a connection there that you make almost as soon as you look at him. You want to be a part of it and you want to help."

Because the mission of Shawn's Anomaly is provide education, hope, and help to the 1-in-30 families that are affected by congenital anomalies, we are doing what we can do to help this family get Liam to Texas.  The Children's Hospital at St. Francis has done an amazing job caring for Liam, and they should be praised for everything they have been able to do.  We want to thank all of the doctors and staff that have helped Liam with his amazing journey to this point.

We are now taking the first step as Shawn's Anomaly to provide assistance to Liam's family.  We have witnessed miracle in Liam's life since we were introduced to his case, and we look forward to helping any way that we can.  

Please continue to follow this story.  We are doing everything we can on the limited resources.  Your support for our mission will greatly help us to continue to provide assistance to other families like Liam's, but it takes a lot to keep this mission going.  We hope that you please consider donating to our efforts.

Work Cited:

McNeill, Rachel. www.click2houston.com. 26 April 2012. 8 June 2012

Update 8/29/2012

Liam received a transfer to Cincinatti Children's Hospital where he is undergoing some state of the art treatment by a team of doctors led by Dr. Felipe Morales are working around the clock to take care of Liam.  More updates to come!

Update 9/3/2012  

Unfortunately or little "Lyon Heart" is no longer with us.  Please see blog posting: http://shawnsanomaly.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-memory-of-liam-lyon.html