On Friday, June 12, 2009, I found out I had an aortic aneurysm. I was 37 years old, healthy, and the mother of two toddlers. It was scary at the time, but I soon realized how incredibly lucky, blessed, or whatever you call it, to have been diagnosed. I learned that I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve. This is a risk factor of aortic aneurysm. Because of the size of my aneurysm, only two weeks after my diagnosis, I had open chest surgery to repair my aorta. In 2012, I was excited to be selected as a member of the first Team Ritter. That year I trained hard, and raised awareness and more than $4000 for The John Ritter Foundation. I was ready to run, but due to the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 NYC Marathon was cancelled. While I understood the decision to cancel, I was sad not to complete my goal. In 2013, I rejoined Team Ritter and completed the marathon on November 3, which happened to be my 42nd birthday. And just like that I’m now 50, and I am thrilled to have been asked to return to Team Ritter. My goal is to raise awareness and $5000 for the Foundation. As for the marathon, I’m looking forward to re