Jesse's Run for Recovery: Ultra Edition

Hi everyone!

 

If you've been following Jesse's story, you know that two years ago, at the age of 26, he had a stroke that left him with very little movement on the right side of his body. He spent the next 6 months in and out of the hospital dealing with the many tests, procedures and unpleasant side effects caused by the stroke. Learning to walk, talk and do every day basic tasks again took a major toll on both his mental and physical health, but he decided that instead of dwelling on the negatives, he was going to put every ounce of energy into recovering and finding a way to help others going through similar situations. In October of 2020, less than one year after his stroke, he completed his first half marathon and since then has completed many runs all while helping people throughout the country deal with brain trauma and stroke recovery.

 

We are now approaching the two year mark and Jesse has decided there’s no better way to celebrate his 2 year Stroke Anniversary than to skip right from a half marathon all the way to an ultra marathon. Yes, that’s correct, Jesse will be running 100 miles in under 30 hours just two years after being paralyzed on one side of his body. If you’re wondering if we tried talking him out of this, the answer is yes, but for those of you who know Jesse, you know that when his mind is set, there’s no stopping him. He will be competing in the Brazos Bend 100 in Needville, TX the weekend of December 4th.

 

Against Jesse’s wishes, we have decided this year to give a portion of the donations raised to Jesse and a portion to the American Heart Association. Although Jesse’s recovery has been nothing short of amazing, he still has not been cleared to return to his career due to the risks involved with his medications. He has been able to do jobs such as bartending as of recently, however that has not been able to even put a dent in the medical bills associated with his numerous extended hospital stays, frequent procedures and his never ending doctor visits that have piled up over the past two years. While Jesse makes it look easy, the past two years have been extremely difficult for him. Running is what has kept him going and we want to do whatever we can to help him hit this next milestone (as crazy as it may be) as well as help ease the financial burden of experiencing such a serious health issue at a young age. If you know Jesse then you know how thoughtful & giving he is, that his only concern ever is helping others and that he absolutely never asks for help even when he may need it. He has been able to help so many people through his journey and we want to see him continue to go above and beyond to raise awareness for Stroke Prevention and Recovery one run at a time. Please consider donating to a great cause and a great person! Together we can continue to help the 17 million people effected by stroke every year.

 

For those of you that are new to Jesse’s journey, check out his amazing American Heart Association Feature and his Run for Recovery video below.

 

American Heart Association Article

 

 

Stroke is the No. 2 cause of death worldwide and No. 1 leading cause of disability. The American Stroke Association teams with millions of volunteers to prevent, treat and beat stroke by funding innovative research, fighting for stronger public health policies, and providing lifesaving tools and information. For more information on the American Stroke Assocation, please visit https://www.stroke.org/en/about-the-american-stroke-association