Cathleen O'Hare: Why I Run

Boy with muscular dystrophy inspires team

Cathleen O'Hare will be running in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon because a little boy with muscular dystrophy can't. But she won't be alone.

O'Hare has recruited a team of roughly 50 people to tackle the marathon this year on behalf of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy.

Young Sam Rasmussen lost his father in the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and his Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy has made it increasingly difficult for Sam to walk and climb stairs.

"He's such a positive boy. He gave us an inspiration talk the first week of June about all the things he can do," O'Hare said.

O'Hare and her team have a goal raising $40,000 for MD research.

"It's a great analogy, running, because it really is putting one foot in front of the other and that's how we've had to rebuild our life," said Sam's mother, Anna Rasmussen.

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