The Living With Trisomy 13 Community
Supports Ironman for Kids www.ironmanforkids.com
Michael as he travels the world to raise awareness for Trisomy Awareness.
50 in 52
Journey interview Janelle and Michael Hennessey, founders of the
Ironmanforkids foundation. Watch this interview of this amazing couple
and their passion for kids with Trisomy. Get inspired by this couple who
reached out to help a community they had no connection with simply
because they felt they needed to, and listen to the amazing ways in
which they have found to bring awareness and help to people with Trisomy
children.
Our foundation seeks to raise awareness for trisomy by racing endurance
events across the globe. A chromosomal disorder is not a death sentence
but a rewarding challenge to embrace compassion, love, and hope for a
unique little life.
Across the globe, there’s a forgotten and lost tribe of people. They’re
the children and families of children who have Trisomy 13 and 18. Their
children have been given a death sentence. This tribe is hurt and mostly
alone, waking up to face death and the fear of death.
For those in this tribe, they learn not to live in the past or the
future, but in the now. They learn how to be. They must be.
Their motto can be summed up in 3 “B” words: (tri be). Battle. Breathe.
Believe.
Battle - against pain, fear, death, against the very cells in a body.
Against anger. Against ignorance.
Breathe - trisomy babies are supposed to forget how to breathe and die.
As a parent, you never take a breath for granted. And as a parent, you
learn to just breathe. You keep thinking you can do something - you
can’t. In fact, you can do nothing. So, as Robbie Seay the singer says:
breathe out and breathe again/know that life is hard, but it’s worth
breathing.
Believe - is all we can do and the best we can do. Believe that life is
precious. Believe that today is a gift. Believe that there is eternal
life for the redeemed. Believe that I have a Savior friend who will see
me through this. Believe that there is strength in Him.
*BRING
THE JOY OF A BIKE TO A SPECIAL NEEDS TYKE*
*Pedal.Passion.Purpose.*
Ironman for Kids Foundation is challenging you to a spin-a-thon.
Help us continue our work and purchase special needs bikes for
some incredible kids. Save the date and start forming your teams!! IRONMAN FOR KIDS
Ironman for kids - helping to raise Trisomy Awareness - Michael
Hennessey completed his 15th Ironman competition in a calendar year,
passing the current Guinness World Record. VIDEO Channel 5 KPHO.com
Click for Video
Blessings to everyone today! We're excited that we are on the cusp of
reaching our initial goal of breaking the Guinness World Record for most
Ironmans (14) in a year. Several trisomy families are going to be there
with us in person at IM Arizona to spread more awareness for these
precious babies and children affected with trisomy and their courageous
families.
In honor of this festive occasion, we are launching our Trikes & Bikes
for Trisomy. Please see attached file below for information on this
wonderful new adventure. So many children long for a bike for Christmas
and these differently abled children are no different. Please generously
consider being a joyful part of their lives. We know it's a lot of money
in these uncertain times but it will make a world of difference in their
lives. For these amazing tandems you could even "tandem" up with friends
and families to be able to help us purchase one.
Thank you all for your generous consideration and your never ending
support of our arduous efforts on behalf of those without a voice. May
God bless you all for your generosity.
9-11-08 Washington Post By Michael Gerson Wednesday, September
10, 2008; Page A15
Trig Paxson Van Palin -- pronounced by his mother "beautiful" and
"perfect" and applauded at center stage of the Republican convention --
smashed the chromosomal barrier. And it was all the more moving for the
innocence and indifference of this 4-month-old civil rights leader.
LINK to FULL TEXT
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Running for others - Video Some people run the Penticton Ironman
triathlon for more than the challenge and glory.
7-4-08
batiansila blog Highlights Michael Hennessey & his Ironman for kids
foundation
7-4-08 Off to Germany/Austria Posted by ironman under:
Blogroll . It's time to pack the bag & bike box again. Team-Trisomy is off to
Ironman Germany to race this Sunday. Luckily there were only 450,000
spectators at last's years race so I won't be lonely. There should be
lots of action with all the world's top pro's duking it out. In 2007,
two pro women raced neck and neck for nine hours. Please tune into to
follow all the action.
The travel plans are quick and fast. Leave Friday, arrive Saturday and
register, rest some, and then race Sunday. It's a tough trip but less
time away from the family and work. After collecting myself, then it's
some time with old friends from my teaching days in Mexico and off to
Ironman Austria for some R&R.
More>
7-3-08 --Please Say a special prayer for Michael and his IRONman for
Kids Mission. Today Michael is waiting to hear on a possible sponsor
to his IRONMAN mission. Please lift Michael and Paul up in prayer that
this will be the next step forward for his mission of hope for our
trisomy families globally.
TV NEWS!!!!!!!
Michael Hennessey TEXAS IRONMAN attempting to set a worlds record in
2008 for TRIsomy Awareness To read the article and view Video
click here KXYL.com
6-26-08 Can
You Race several Ironmans in a Year?
LISTEN NOW Michael Hennessey is on
a mission to race several Ironmans this year in an effort to
raise awareness about a chromosomal disorder in babies called Trisomy.
Today on Endurance Planet we hear about the amazing effort. ... Main site click
hereEndurancePlanet.com Interviews
Michael Hennessey–husband, father, regular guy with a zeal for the Lord, will
attempt 18 Ironmans across the globe for Trisomy Awareness!
Please go to Michael’s site and read all about his passion for our very special
kids. Home page Ironman for Kids http://www.ironmanforkids.com/ About Michael
Charities Right now what Michael needs most is PRAYERS. Please pray that good sponsors
will come their way, so they can help children’s organizations. His Race Schedule/ Sponsorship
Here is a message from Michael:
Dear Supporters,
They say doing an Ironman is the pinnacle of endurance athletics and in
particular that the Ironman is all about overcoming adversity. The most vivid
image that comes to mind is Dick & Rick Hoyt. The father that loves his
physically challenged so much that he pulls, pushes and drags his son through
the lava fields of Hawaii so that his son can feel the exhilaration of finishing
an Ironman. Parents and children living with trisomy 13 endure plenty of
adversity each day and this special quest is for them.
Racing an Ironman is a very spiritual experience but just a means to an end.
Sadly, Ironman has come to reflect individuals conquering something much
bigger than themselves on their own. Only God’s grace is sufficient for us. We
are not trying to conquer the world. Christ has already done that. We
simply want to give back to those in need. We have been blessed with six healthy
and vibrant children and felt called to do something that would witness to the
value of life. The beauty and affirmation of human life that flows from the
living with trisomy 13 group fit perfectly. The value of life fully represented
here is why we want to dedicate this special mission of mercy to them.
What can we do as a Community to support Michael? PRAYERS will help bring everything together. What Michael needs most is a
SPONSOR or many SPONSORS to help this all come together. If you know of any organization who would like to help sponsor him, please contact them and pass on
this wonderful mission of love.
What are we hoping to do as we support Michael and follow his journey around the
world in 2008? This will be fun and very exciting following and watching his events. We have
families around the world that have been touched by Trisomy 13. We’ll do our
best to help support him at each Ironman event.
It’s taken me a few months to ponder this as I know many will say who is he? Why
should we support him? What’s in it for us? Why do we need to help him? As I myself have thought about all of this, I see Michaels passion for kids as
not much different than our own. He is on a quest, a journey and is going to
live from event to event...hoping all the right doors open for him to travel
through each one. What he is doing will in turn, bring awareness to our Families
Journey’s throughout the world.
He feels a call from above to help organizations such as ours. With our prayers
and support and help if possible in getting some sponsors this will become reality. With this new worldwide awareness towards our LWT13 community, I
believe 2008 will be the year we can get our Non-Profit 501c3. This would be a wonderful blessing.
If you know of any large organization or business that would like to be part of
this amazing feat...please contact Michael Also feel free to call or email Michael if you just want to get to know him or
his family better especially with any questions. Contact
http://www.ironmanforkids.com/?page_id=19 email: michael@ironmanforkids.com
Ironman for Kids 833 N. Saint Mary’s Street San Antonio, TX. 78205-1332
If We Hold On Together Song Copyright 2002 by Patricia Welch, Ltd. All rights reserved.
Used with permission.
*Disclaimer
All material on this site reflects our personal journey with raising a Trisomy
13 (Patau Syndrome) - child. It is not meant to replace any medical advise of a professional
familiar with your specific condition. The personal journeys of any parents on
this site are only their opinions and their own journey with having a Trisomy 13
child. You should consult with your own physician or other medical professional
regarding the opinions or recommendations expressed within these pages as to
your own child's symptoms and medical condition.