Run to Walk with Now I can 2013

It is really hard for me to put into words what this day meant to me. I have never been a part of something so meaningful. I have never felt so much love and support for McKay and our family. It really was a day I will never forget!

Most people already know that McKay has done intense physical therapy sessions at Now I can located in Provo, Utah for the last year. We had our first session last October after one of our Physical therapists mentioned it. At that time I was ready to try something new for McKay. I knew he had the potential to walk but he just couldn't seem to put together the idea of doing it. We had been stuck in the same place with his gross motor for quite some time.
After we did our first session at Now I can McKay started walking just weeks after that. I know that Now I can is the reason that McKay is walking right now. I am sure he would have started walking on his own at some point, but I am convinced it would have been a long ways down the road. So as you can imagine Now I can holds a very special place in our heart.
When I heard that they were doing a 5k fundraiser for their patients and their families I jumped at the chance to put a team together for McKay. We named McKay's team McKay's Mighty Ducks because of his love right now for ducks. It s one of the words that he can say right now!
We e-mailed, posted and printed letters and sent them to practically everyone we knew and all of our family. I thought we would have a good team but was completely blown away by the support that we had. Family and friends from all over the country signed up to help or sent money just to help with his therapy. Family and friends in Utah signed up and came from miles and miles away to support us. We ended up having the largest team for the race with over 100 racers!
Now I can also contacted us the week of the race to let us know that we had the biggest team and that they wanted McKay to have a big part in the race. They asked him to start the race off. I was so excited for him to do it but very nervous to see how he would handle the crowd of people and the noise. But he handled it like a champ. He started the starting line and started the race off with the push of a button. It was incredibly emotional to have him start the race and walk over the starting line.

My sister captured this picture. I still have no idea how she got this picture, McKay rarely has a smile this big. It is my FAVORITE picture of the day for sure!

I tried really hard to get pictures of everyone on our team, I know I still missed a lot. But this is just some of the many people that were there to support us!

I walked/ran the 1 mile walk (I ran part of it because in the excitement of everything we lost Brynn! She of course saw we were starting the race and just took off running as soon as McKay started the siren and then found some friends. So once we found her I walked the rest with McKay in the stroller and took pictures.)

I really wanted McKay to walk across the finish line, it really meant a lot to me. So I got him out of the stroller the last 100 feet of the walk and had him walk across the finish line. It was incredibly emotional to see him WALK across the finish line. I have never been so proud of him, he works so hard. Things do not come easy for him, I know his life is hard. But I know he can do hard things, I  know he can do it.

We also ran the race with some new dear friends that we have made. We found a family in Saratoga Springs that has a little boy that has the same syndrome as McKay does. We have loved getting to know them and getting together with them. We made M-CM syndrome ribbons for both of our teams as well. McKay also got a medal from his therapist at Now I can.
There were 100's of pictures that we took on this day, this is just a few of them.

It truly was a perfect morning. Everything went so well and the love that we felt was incredible! We had numerous people tell us they were so happy they could just come help and just come support us. We also had lots of people thank us for the opportunity to show their kids they could do something to help others. We will for sure be doing it again next year, it was such a rewarding and emotional experience!
Here is the letter we sent out to ask people to be on our team:

We are coming to you as friends and family asking if you would like to help out a great cause and even better help out McKay. As many of you know last fall McKay attended a very intensive physical therapy facility called, Now I Can, located in Provo, Utah.  McKay went for 3 weeks straight- 4 hours a day- 5 days a week. We went in with the hope that he would be able to come out of it walking. It was very hard on McKay, but he got stronger and stronger each day. We were so thrilled when about a month after finishing his therapy program he began walking. I can't explain to you how incredibly happy we are that he is walking. Doctor's told us he may never walk, and he proved them wrong!

We are actually getting ready to do another session at this same place, Now I Can, with another round of intensive physical therapy. He will start again in a few weeks!

The facility, Now I Can, is having a fundraising 5k/1 mile walk in May. We have decided to put a team together for Mckay, we are going to call it McKay's Mighty Ducks.  McKay is is VERY obsessed with ducks right now. He loves watching the Bubble Guppies episode with the Ducks, he just claps and yells out "Duck" as loud as can. He also has been a few times this spring to feed the ducks and he just kicks and screams and claps, he loves it!

We would like to invite all that would like to come to participate with us in the 5k/1 mile walk and have a fun/memorable time. The race will be on May 18th. The 5k starts at 8 am, and the 1 mile walk starts at 8:20. You can do either or, you can also walk the 5k if you would prefer to do that. I also heard that some kids rode their scooters and bikes along the 1 mile walk.  After the race and walk are over, everyone meets in front of Now I Can (where the race starts) and enjoy a free breakfast and carnival games for kids.  There is even a raffle as well. Believe it or not, there are also prizes for the winners of the 5k race....Kyle will probably win these, but you are welcome to try to give him a run for his money!!

One of the best parts about you participating is that part of your registration fee goes towards McKay's next therapy session, which is a HUGE help for us!

Those of you that I am sending this to that are out of the State of Utah are probably wondering why you are on this list. Well if you happen to be in Utah at that time we would love to have you. However, if you are not, Now I Can will have a "Spirit Runner" run in your place.  You still pay for the registration and your fee would still goes towards McKay's therapy.

Here are the details:

When: Saturday, May 18, 2013
Start Time (5k): 8:00 am, (1m): 8:20 am
Where: Race starts at Now I Can Foundation, 1675 N Freedom Blvd, Provo, UT
Pricing: 5k $10, 1 mile walk $5 (We are getting a discount because we will have a group, so the website will say different prices)
The registration fee includes your registration to run, a run t-shirt, goodies from some of our sponsors, plus a contribution to a patient  (McKay!) at Now I Can!
I will pick up all of the race bibs the night before and have them there for you Saturday morning. If you would be able to come about 15 minutes early to get your bib from me that would be great!
You can register by calling Now I can at, 801-228-1935 or you can register online through them through runnercard.com http://www.runnercard.com/e/runner.Main?meet=4457 (Note there is an extra $2 fee if you register online through runnercard, so just be aware.)
If you register under the team name "McKay's Mighty Ducks" , and put the patient name as McKay Ford your registration will automatically go towards therapy for McKay!
Here is a link to the website for Now I Can, it also has the details (if you need more) about the race.  http://www.nowican.org/runtowalk
PLEASE let me know if you sign up and register so I can keep track of who is on our team. Send me an e-mail (valerieford025@yahoo.com), or a text ! (801) 602-4714
We sincerely want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for help and support with the race. McKay's long journey began about three years ago and we know that we would not have been able to get where we are today without the help and support of all of our friends and our family. Thank you for all that you do for us. Thank you for being such amazing friends and family. Thank you for always asking how McKay is doing and how you can help.
We love you all!
Thank you so much!
Kyle and Valerie Ford