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Athlete will run Boston Marathon in honor of Alphas
Erika Simendinger has participated in several marathons and long-distance races in the past, but she never ran for a cause – until she met Ed Mikell.
At a party in January, Simendinger mentioned to Mikell that she was planning to run the Boston Marathon April 19. Mikell, a former track and cross-country runner in high school and college, asked if she was running for a cause. She said no, she was not.
So Mikell told her about Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. Not surprisingly, Simendinger had never heard of Alpha-1. But after hearing Mikell’s story, she decided that she would run to raise awareness and funds for Alpha-1 research.
Erika just before a 10K run
Two of Mikell’s grandchildren are healthy these days, but both have been diagnosed with Alpha-1. When Cooper, his youngest grandchild, was just a few weeks old, he suffered a blockage in his liver and was diagnosed with Alpha-1. The family then tested the other two boys and found that Bryce also had Alpha-1, but his older brother Tyler did not.
Now, with the support of his family and friends like Simendinger, Mikell is dedicated to raising awareness of Alpha-1 and funds for Alpha-1 research.
Mikell was involved with the New York City Alpha-1 Swim Team, which swam entirely around Manhattan Island in 2007 and swam the English Channel in 2008, using both to raise Alpha-1 awareness.
