I'm no saint, I'm only doing it because I like their logo...

If the Running Gods allow me to, and cure this stupid knee injury, and nothing else prevents me from running the New York Marathon, I will run the New York Marathon to raise money and awareness for a good cause. A very good cause, if you'd ask me:


Hulphond Nederland (http://www.hulphondnederland.nl/)

(partner of Assistance Dogs International: http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/)

Hulphond Nederland is an organization that trains and places Hulphonden (translation in English: assistance or service dogs).

A service dog is a dog that literally helps disabled women and men (and occasionally also kids - the child has to be old and responsible enough to handle the service dog). Service dogs assist people with disabillities other than hearing or vision impairment. They can be trained to work with people who need a wheelchair, need seizure alert, need to be allerted to other medical issues like low blood sugar, etcetera. The dogs can be trained to help you get the mail, run your errands, get dressed, do laundry, and ofcourse can be trained to signal a seizure or for example low blood sugar.

And most importantly: service dogs do not only provide a specific service to their handlers, but also greatly enhance their lives with a new sense of freedom and independence.

Since my mom has been a puppy family for a couple of years now (the puppy family has a service dog puppy until it's a year old) I've seen how these dogs work and it's amazing!

But why did I choose this cause?

Just a couple of months ago my dear mom was diagnosed with severe diabetes. Diabetes to the extent where her body doesn't tell her when her bloodsugar is dropping. No sweating, fatigue, dizziness. None of these signs. Just sudden low bloodsugar and the inevitable seizure that is the result of such low blood sugar.

As said above she has been a puppy family for a couple of years now, but recently she was assigned with her own service dog. Because of the severe diabetes.

Mom and her service dog finishing their first 11K race together.

Diddy, Mom's service dog, 'tells' her when her blood sugar is suddenly dropping. Even when this means that he'd have to wake her up in the middle of the night. Or stop her while running errands. Diddy is the reason that Mom's got her confidence back again. She even felt secure enough to run an 11K race - with Diddy, ofcourse. And for this, that sweet dog deserves a statue in my opinion. Or two. Heck, name a street after him!

And that, my friends, is why I'm proud to (hopefully - fingers crossed) run the New York Marathon to raise money and awareness for Hulphond Nederland!

Did you ever run a race to raise money for a good cause?