Luminocities

Asides

• by Merrill Moore

  For many years, Marlin Keesler worked too hard and spent way too many hours away from his family. He knew deep down that his children needed more time with their Daddy. When his son Austin turned 5 years old, Marlin and his wife felt that something just wasn’t normal with his development and knew they had to do something.

  Austin wasn’t communicating in full sentences, had problems with motor & social skills, and was at times oppositional. There would be 7 years of grief and frustration before he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome - a high functioning form of Autism. That was in 1994, the very same year Marlin ran his first Marathon.

  One would think that in order to run a marathon you’d have to love to run. This was not the case for Marlin. He hated to run. His decision to participate in a marathon shocked even himself! At first, he chose to do this for a few reasons; to get healthy, to set a goal and stick with it, and to be a great example for his children. Also, Marlin feels that sometimes when he does things he doesn’t particularly enjoy, the experiences bring many life lessons in the end.

  Marlin never intended on completing fifty marathons in fifty states when he signed up for his first race. He just signed up for the event 6 months before the race date and paid his entrance fee. However he did think that something must be amiss about runners, after all, shouldn’t they pay the runners to run 26.2 miles?

  Marlin knew it would be nice to travel the country with his wife and his children as he ran in various marathons, but he had no idea just how close they would all become. Their travels created a new family bond like no other. And the treasured gifts they received as they reunited with old friends and family were priceless.

  As time passed, Marlin and his wife Jeanne observed signs in their daughter Erin’s behavior that they where seeing in Austin. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with Turners Syndrome, which arises in girls born without two completely formed X chromosomes. Frequently, this brings about a short height, underdevelopment, sterility, and can cause many heath issues like heart disease and hypothyroidism.

  Traveling across the country turned into a real life classroom for their children. Austin and Erin learned more on the road with their parents, visiting cities and states than they ever would in a Geography or History class. The Keesler’s realized the marathons provided an avenue for a family connection like no other.

  Throughout their travels they put together a scrapbook to chronicle their adventures as a family. Ultimately, this developed into a full-fledged published book titled, “Our Life On The Run” and website OurLifeOnTheRun.com

  Today, Marlin gratefully speaks to groups with parents who have autistic children. He hopes his story can help inspire them to never give up and to realize they can make a difference in giving their kids a better life. He also intends to let others know they are not the only ones in this difficult situation.

  he number one concern in Marlin’s life is his family. He says he would run around the world for them - one mile at a time.

  About the Author:

  Merrill Moore is passionate about supporting everyday people like Marlin who do extraordinary things for humanity. So please feel free to read more stories like this that include people who take action to be the change they wish to see in the world.