From Washington State, across the country and around the world, families joined our race for a cure for Jordan’s Syndrome.
The Marley Mae 5K and Family Walk, a virtual walk and fundraiser organized by a Washington family whose daughter is diagnosed with Jordan’s Syndrome, raised thousands of dollars to help fund our groundbreaking research effort. Dozens of participants took part in the virtual race, a race that can be run or walked from any location around the world.
Luke and Sandy Larsson created the event in support of their daughter, Marley, and other children impacted by Jordan’s Syndrome worldwide. Jordan’s Syndrome is a rare genetic mutation on the gene PPP2R5D that causes developmental delays and other symptoms, and is linked to autism, Alzheimer’s and cancer. There are now 100 cases worldwide. Jordan’s Guardian Angels is leading the research for a cure.
Last October, the Larssons wrote on the event’s Facebook page:
“This past winter, after 6 years of not having a diagnosis for our little girl, we finally got one from Seattle Children’s. Marley’s genetic team informed us that they figured out what was going on and explained all the research about an abnormality in her PPP2R5D gene. We also learned that Marley was the 65th person in the world to be diagnosed with it. After being in the dark for 6 long years and thinking Marley was the only one with this mystery problem, we were immediately in contact with other families from around the world. It was amazing!”
The Larssons created a website, t-shirts and more to help spread the word about our amazing journey – and in mid-May, people all over the world took part. It is yet another inspiring show of support and generosity – in a journey we couldn’t make without all of you.
After the two-day event, the Larssons wrote, “Thank you so much for helping make the first Marley Mae 5K and Family walk a huge success,” the Larsson family wrote on the event’s Facebook page. "We can’t thank you enough for all the support. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
The event raised $3990! Congratulations to our Marley Mae 5K winners:
First Place: Steven Hall (21:25)
Second Place: Erin Mcconnell (25:08)
Third Place: Jennifer McConnell (25:48)
Silliest Group Photo: The Hadley Family
Best Photo: Ann Marie Keeler
