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.