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Brooklyn marathon runner to raise $5,000 to support Lung Association

October 1, 2013 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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On Sunday Nov. 3, thousands will take to the streets of New York City as part of the 2013 ING New York City Marathon. The course, which starts in Staten Island, covers 26.2 miles through all five boroughs, finishing in Central Park.

Brooklyn resident Bonnie Ann Miller, 25, will run for the first time in 2013 in support of the American Lung Association of the Northeast. Her goal is to raise $5,000.

Bonnie, originally from Sarasota, Florida, was born nine weeks premature with severely underdeveloped lungs and remained in the hospital for almost two months following her birth. She went on to play basketball in both middle school and high school. It is because she was so active that Bonnie started to notice difficulty breathing; she was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 12. When she experienced flare-ups, Bonnie used an inhaler prescribed by her doctor which she said worked effectively for her. She is among the 25 million Americans who suffer from asthma, including more than 8 million children.

“We are so pleased to have Bonnie and the four other runners that are supporting the American Lung Association of the Northeast through their participation in the ING NYC Marathon this November,” said Jeff Seyler, president & CEO of the American Lung Association of the Northeast. “Bonnie is doing a real service by talking candidly about her how her condition has affected her and by raising funds that will help so many through our research, education and advocacy efforts.”

Bonnie describes her asthma as “mild” and has continued to work in conjunction with her doctors to keep flare-ups at bay. A former co-worker, Ryan Graney, unfortunately did not experience the same kind of mild symptoms and has been hospitalized countless times because of her asthma. Ryan has been a longtime supporter of the American Lung Association and, recognizing that Bonnie is an avid runner, brought the challenge of running the ING NYC Marathon to benefit the American Lung Association of the Northeast to her.

Having lived with lung disease most of her life and having watched her grandmother struggle to breathe from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Bonnie felt it would be an ideal fit for her. Her grandmother ultimately lost her life to COPD, the third leading cause of death in the United States.

In the past couple of years, Bonnie’s asthma has not posed a problem for her when it comes to her active lifestyle. Still, because of her condition, completing the ING NYC Marathon was something she never dreamed of. “I definitely never thought I would be running a marathon,” said Bonnie.