Run Carrie Run!

Why I Run

Carrie Siu Butt ( Fall 2001, Stanford GSB Application Essay):

” I still daydream about running a marathon and hope that one day they will find a cure for Dystonia.  What matters most? I want to win this fight.  I want to destroy this monster that has attacked my body.  And if I don’t so be it.”

About 23 years ago I was diagnosed with Dystonia.  The disease struck at puberty and only worsened as I got older.  As I approached my 30s walking became a painful and arduous exercise; I was afraid my inevitable path led to life in a wheelchair.  But three years ago I decided to try an experimental procedure called Deep Brain Stimulation to hopefully mitigate some of the physical pain of day to day life.  To my surprise, six weeks post brain surgery the first miracle happened – I began to walk “normally”.  Things improved steadily and I decided right then that if I ever had a chance to run, I would set my sights on a 10K.  One year later, I achieved that goal.  For my third year anniversary I decided I would run my version of a marathon – 2 half marathons.  On April 25th, I shed tears of happiness completing my first half marathon with my best friend Liz.  On August 2nd, I look forward to completing my second half marathon which I dedicate to my sister Suzie.  She also suffers from this disease and at one point in her life knew what it was like to live in a wheelchair.  The legs crossing that finish line August 2nd will be hers!  I plan to run this time with two amazing friends who have held my hand many times when I lost focus on what was most important.  Finally, I would like to thank my loving parents and friends for cheering me through this journey and believing in me when I so often wanted to quit.  When I cross that finish line, I will have proven that miracles do happen – when you let yourself believe in them!

This has been intensely personal for me, and I want to support others who are going through the same experience.  So I’m running the Chicago Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon not just for my sister Suzie, but for an 11-year old little boy named Tyler and his 7-year old sister Samantha.  Click here to learn more about the organization I’m running for, and if you feel so moved learn how you can help. We can beat it, and I’ll keep running until we do!

To give you a sense of how far I’ve come…. this video is me, Pre-Op:

If you’d like to share your thoughts, please feel free to add a comment below.

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