Posted: September 20, 2007

Athletics: Counting Down To The 30th Anniversary Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon

30 Inspiring Stories in 30 Days Jeff and his wife Lindsay endured the heart-wrenching experience of losing their firstborn daughter at 10 months old. They will be joined by families and friends as they honor her with their marathon debut and raise funds for the organization that provided her with compassion and top-notch care, Children’s Memorial Hospital. WHO: Jeff Gertz AGE: 28 OCCUPATION: Litigation Examiner HOMETOWN: Wauconda, Illinois PREVIOUS MARATHONS: Debut RUNNER STORY: Jeff Gertz will be running alongside his wife, Lindsay, and a few other close friends and family members in The 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. They will be running to support the Children’s Memorial Hospital of Chicago and dedicating their performance to their daughter, Hailey. Jeff and Lindsay have taken on this difficult task as a method of honoring their firstborn’s fight for life. Hailey Colleen Gertz was born on July 7, 2004 – three months premature. She weighed a meager two pounds and nine ounces. She was immediately admitted to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and placed on a ventilator. The machine prolonged her life while she struggled to do what any other baby does: grow, play, interact, and develop. As devoted parents, Jeff and Lindsay spent each day visiting with their child. They showered her with love, affection, and a wealth of toys. They shared every moment they could offer with Hailey and staying overnight at the Ronald McDonald House ® allowed them to never be farther than two blocks away. Hailey’s doctors had warned the Gertzes of all the possible obstacles Hailey might face being born so early. One of their primary concerns was her lung growth, development, and capacity. Hailey regularly underwent a series of tests to monitor her condition. In April 2005, one of the tests revealed devastating news. A chest CT scan discovered that Hailey failed to possess any healthy lung tissue. Her lungs were comprised of dead tissue and suffered many lesions. Her frail body ruled out the possibility of receiving a transplant as she would not be able to recover from the stressful surgery. Just 24 hours after hearing the news, Hailey’s short life ended. Jeff and Lindsay were blessed to have the support and compassion of the hospital’s staff. They were so touched by all the efforts made to create a comfortable environment for their daughter that they are now running to raise funds for future families that may be enduring a similar situation. Jeff is inspired by his daughter’s fight for life. She managed to survive 10 months with crippled lungs when she should not have lasted 10 days. He and his wife have been training this year and while the goal they strive for has been difficult, they feel there is no comparison to what little Hailey went through. After watching some of their friends and family run across the finish line in the past two Chicago Marathons, they now feel it is their time to honor Hailey. They look forward to experiencing the intensity and excitement of crossing the finish line for themselves and for their little girl. RACE INFORMATION: The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Sunday, October 7, 2007 as 45,000 participants advance to the start line, embarking on the culmination of 45,000 personal journeys. Along with the massive field of recreational runners, the 26.2-mile course will welcome a full field of world renowned professional athletes drawn to the flat, fast, urban setting and the potential to break world and national records. The professionals will compete for prize money and points in the World Marathon Majors series which will crown its first male and female champions with $500,000 each at the close of 2007. Since the inception of its charity program in 2002, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has generated more than $27.5 million for a variety of charitable causes including $9.5 million in the 2006 event alone. Registration for the race opened on January 1, 2007 and closed when it reached capacity on April 18. Jeff’s story and all previously released runner stories are available at ChicagoMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest