Hello everyone! I wanted to take a moment to share some info about a little guy I had the pleasure of meeting, Dio. In March, Dio turned 4 years old and he has spent about 60% of this time in and out of hospital. He was born with a rare genetic duplication that attacks all of his muscle tissue. There are only about 70 other people globally with this condition. Most of those affected either passed away at birth or never made it past their first year. Dio was also born with three chambers in his heart instead of four. He has had G tube surgery, open heart surgery and has suffered from pneumonia. This led to a collapsed lung which caused him to go into cardiac arrest but he was brought back by an attending ER doctor. More recently, he underwent a tracheosttomy. No matter what the universe throws his way, Dio soldiers on. Dio's family joined the Chalkwalk in 2022 with their team Dio's Ducklings. And since then, have been participating every year! This will be the first year I am attending, and I am excited to bring awareness to the cause! Much of the amazing care that Dio has been able to receive has been through the Children’s hospital, so this is our way of not only bringing awareness but giving back to the community that’s has been such a crucial part of Dio’s 4 beautiful years on this earth. Any contribution is greatly appreciated and if you can’t donate please feel free to share the link with friends and family. Thank you so much. 

Every dollar raised from this magical event will support health care programs, education, and research at Rady Children’s Health, formerly CHOC. More than two million children a year depend on Rady's. And our community's generosity is what provides access to the best possible care and services. 

With Gratitude,

Emilee