Newswise — HOUSTON – (Oct. 27, 2014) – Friends and family members of people with thoracic aortic disease and fans of the late legendary comedic actor John Ritter will come together as Team Ritter to raise funds for the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health (JRF) at the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon.
“We are so proud and grateful to again be one of the official charities of this year’s TCS New York City Marathon and have the opportunity to raise much-needed funds for lifesaving research and education,” said actress, writer and aortic health advocate Amy Yasbeck, the widow of Ritter, who died from an acute aortic dissection in 2003. “Team Ritter runners are passionate about increasing awareness of aortic dissection and its risk factors and are committed to raising funds to support the JRF.”
Funds from the TCS New York City Marathon raised for the JRF will go to the John Ritter Research Program in Aortic and Vascular Diseases (JRRP) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) to support research to identify genetic risks for aortic dissections. To donate, visit Edward Norton’s Crowdrise online website: https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamRitter2014NYC.
“The funds raised by Team Ritter will allow us to continue our genetic research to identify genes or altered DNA that increases someone’s risk for an acute aortic dissection. By identifying who is at risk, we can prevent premature deaths due to aortic dissections,” said Dianna Milewicz, M.D., Ph.D., director of UTHealth’s John Ritter Research Program. “It will also help us spread information to both physicians and the public about symptoms and genetic risk factors for aortic dissections, including the fact that this condition can run in families.” Milewicz is professor and George H. W. Bush Chair in Cardiovascular Research in the Division of Medical Genetics at the UTHealth Medical School and the vice-chair of the Department of Internal Medicine.
A thoracic aortic aneurysm is a widening, bulge or ballooning of the aorta, the major artery leading from the heart to the rest of the body. If an aneurysm is not treated or surgically repaired, it will enlarge over time without any symptoms and can cause a life-threatening event — typically an acute aortic dissection. In an aortic dissection, a tear occurs in the wall of the aorta, allowing blood to flow within the aortic wall. The dissection makes the aorta unstable, and it can rupture. Almost half of individuals with an ascending aortic dissection die suddenly. Those who make it to the hospital face emergency surgery. Aortic dissection has been ranked as high as the 15th leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for nearly 15,000 deaths annually. The majority of these deaths are preventable if individuals at risk are identified and the aortic disease is properly managed.
John Ritter, 54, died from an undiagnosed aortic dissection on Sept. 11, 2003 after he experienced chest pain while taping his ABC hit comedy “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.” After Ritter’s death, his brother was found to be at an increased risk for an aortic dissection and underwent surgery to prevent the dissection. Yasbeck formed the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health after Ritter’s death and the John Ritter Research Program at UTHealth was established in 2010.
Meet the members of Team Ritter:
Frank Robert Arko III, M.D., 44, of Cornelius, N.C., not only has family members with aortic disease, but as a vascular surgeon, he treats patients who have aortic or other cardiovascular disease. His grandfather died from a ruptured thoracic aneurysm, his uncle died from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm and his father has a small abdominal aortic aneurysm that is monitored. Trained at Stanford University, he is co-director of the Aortic Institute at Carolinas Healthcare System in Charlotte, N.C.
Kevin Baker, 38, of Indianapolis, is running in honor of his wife Jill, who has a bicuspid aortic valve, a birth defect that can lead to a thoracic aortic aneurysm. In a bicuspid valve, there are only two leaflets instead of the normal three, which allows blood to backwash and puts stress on the thoracic aorta. “I have been to her doctor appointments and know that one day she will have to have open heart surgery. I can’t imagine losing my spouse to aortic disease. I will be running for her as well as all the other people affected by thoracic aortic disease,” Baker said.
Heather A. Cody, 37, works at UTHealth, where she has followed the career of Milewicz. “The work that Dr. Milewicz has done amazes me. Her work gives hope to people and it has saved lives. I cannot describe the amazement in knowing that someone at my institution has had such a profound effect on medicine and health,” she said. Cody, whose family has a history of cardiovascular disease, is an experienced runner who has completed two Houston Marathons. “I ran both marathons in support of a charity,” she said. “I love knowing that my effort is being used to support a cause greater than myself.”
Joshua Dunn, 43, and Gwen O’Donnell of West Hartford, Conn., are among Team Ritter’s non-runner/surrogate runner duos. O’Donnell will be racing to represent Dunn, who was diagnosed with an aortic dissection and bicuspid aortic valve in 2003. As he was preparing for surgery, he learned of the death of John Ritter. “As a young 33-year-old man, I was devastated, scared, upset, and yet in some ways, thankful. I have always felt a connection with your foundation since my surgery and believe strongly in its cause,” he said. For her bat-mitzvah, Dunn’s daughter raised money for the John Ritter Foundation. He volunteers for the American Heart Association visiting patients in a hospital as a member of Mended Hearts. This will be the first marathon for O’Donnell, who strapped on a new pair of running shoes and joined a marathon training group the minute she heard about the team. Together they own a film production company.
Tim Ealer, 46, lost his 73-year-old father to complications from a thoracic aortic dissection in 2013. “We knew very little about this condition until it happened. In fact, it seems many doctors don't know what to look for when a dissection happens. I have dedicated myself to raising money for the John Ritter Foundation in honor of my Father, George Ealer,” said Ealer, who lives in Elko, Ga.
Michael Feldman, 29, of Los Angeles, is a friend of Yasbeck’s and the Ritter family. “I am an experienced runner who loves supporting both Team Ritter by successfully running the TCS New York City Marathon and fundraising to support the foundation's research,” he said. “This is my second NYC marathon and I am thrilled to be able to run it again for such an important cause and wonderful family.”
Cheryl Herbert, 43, of Scarborough, Maine, is running for her 4-year-old daughter Avery, who has a genetic mutation that causes thoracic aortic disease and cerebral vascular disease. “Yet, Avery weathers every hospital stay with a smile on her face, has learned the lingo of medical vernacular since the age of 2 and despite challenges – she perseveres and warms the hearts of all those she meets.”
Actor Adam Jass, 27, of Estes Park, Colo., learned about Team Ritter from Carly Ritter, one of John Ritter’s children. He has always been interested in running marathons, but wanted to find a cause he could strongly support, so he quickly applied to run as a member of Team Ritter. “I think the world of the Ritter family, and cannot imagine a better cause than research that will benefit folks like them,” he said.
Tracy Jones, 47, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., knows what it’s like to feel helpless to a disease that can take lives too early. Her mother was diagnosed with a blood disease that had no cure. Through a cousin, Jones, an insurance agent, met Yasbeck, who asked her to consider running. “I saw the hard work and dedication she has for bringing awareness to this disease and keeping John Ritter’s spirit alive and others alive,” Jones said.
Todd Kreisler, 43, Waukesha, Wis., is a physician assistant who works in cardiovascular surgery. His wife, Nicole Kreisler, an operating nurse who has seen her share of what cardiovascular disease can do to patients, ran on last year’s team and will also be running the marathon this year. “The two of us enjoyed meeting everyone associated with the foundation and my wife loved the experience of running the race for a charity that was associated with someone she was really inspired by, John Ritter. It is exciting when you are helping out a greater cause,” he said.
James Todd Mitchell, 50, is an audiologist from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. His wife Gudrun Aubertin, M.D., is a clinical geneticist who works with patients with aortic disease. “Together, we want to raise awareness of the condition. We found Team Ritter through my wife’s connection to the John Ritter Foundation. She is passionate about this cause. My two daughters also have helped a lot, organizing our garage sale and making muffins, cookies and lemonade for our bake sale. It is a family team effort!”
Howard Nagelberg, 56, of Roslyn, N.Y., and Jennifer Jurica Sweeney are participating as a non-runner/surrogate runner duo. Nagelberg, an athletic man who had run in several New York City marathons, had a tearing sensation in his back in 2010 that sent him to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed with an aortic dissection and treated with medication. A year later he had a second episode and underwent surgery. Sweeney is a teacher who is also running in the memory of the boyfriend of her sister and fellow team member, Sarah Jurica. Cliff Klein died from an undetected thoracic aortic aneurysm in 2012.
Sergio Negrete, 24, an Austin retail broker, watched last year as his friend Greg Weaver raced in memory of Weaver’s father and uncle, who both died from thoracic aortic disease, and in support of his brother, who had a surgical repair of a thoracic aortic aneurysm. “For the past two years, I have known Greg on a professional and personal level. Not only is he an influence in the local community here in Austin, but it’s motivating to see him genuinely care about thoracic aortic disease and his willingness to raise awareness. I want to run this race for him and his family members who have lost their lives.”
Close friends Steve Libert, 40, and Jeremy Schliepsiek, 39, of Peoria, Illinois, are teaming up to run in the honor of Libert’s wife and 12-year-old daughter, who have familial thoracic aortic disease. Jill Libert’s thoracic aorta dissected nine years ago while she was pregnant with their third child. “Our friend Jeremy is a dear friend and his daughter is best friends with ours,” Steve Libert said. “Jeremy talked me into trying to run with him to join forces to double our awareness and raise funds for the foundation. My family means everything to me and I really wanted the chance to run this race for my wife and daughter.” Schliepsiek said, “For me, it’s a great honor and responsibility to run for them.”
Casey Wurzbach, 26, of Brooklyn, N.Y., played the character of John Ritter’s son in the movie “Gramps” when Wurzbach was 8 years old. “I used to watch him when I was young – one of my first sentences was ‘Jack Tripper funny’ – so meeting and working with him was extra special when I experienced what a nice guy he truly was,” Wurzbach said. He also will be running in honor of his mother, who suffers from an aortic irregularity.
Returning members of the team:
Edward M. Cooning IV, 40, and fellow friends joined together to form Jonnie’s Goodguys in the memory of a friend, Jonathan Miller, who died suddenly of a thoracic aortic dissection as a result of suspected undiagnosed Marfan syndrome. The small group has grown into an organization that brings awareness to cardiovascular health, donates to multiple charities and coaches new runners through training. “It’s the goal of Jonnie’s Goodguys to educate and generally live a healthier lifestyle so that we are all around a little longer with our loved ones,” said Cooning, who lives in Indianapolis. “I run for Jon.”
Caroline Gredler lost her husband Dale, 42, to an undiagnosed thoracic aortic dissection in 2010. Their two daughters sold lemonade to raise money for Caroline’s first marathon race last year. “This truly is a team effort. As William Faulkner once said, ‘You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face.’ We’re here to fight the good fight," said Gredler, who lives in Fishers, Ind.
Beth Hook’s husband Ray Hook has survived a thoracic aortic dissection and an aneurysm. Genetic testing revealed he has familial thoracic aortic disease. With his family history, other members receive regular imaging to check for aneurysms. Ray Hook’s sister and his aunt have been diagnosed with aneurysms and are being closely monitored. “I am passionate about sharing my family’s story and making sure that people are aware of connective tissue disorders,” said Beth Hook, who lives in Antioch, Ill. “Knowledge is power.”
Sarah Jurica lost her boyfriend Cliff Klein to an undetected thoracic aortic aneurysm in 2012. “The girl who never in a million years thought she would run ‘a’ marathon is on her way to doing Number 2,” said Jurica, who is from Saratoga Springs, N.Y. "Knowledge is power and that's what we are here for – to spread the facts, increase awareness and raise some money. I am here to keep Cliff’s memory alive and spread some much needed awareness.”
Austin resident Greg Weaver, 44, lost an uncle and his father to thoracic aortic dissections when they were young. His uncle was just 26 and his father, 42. His brother Scott, then 36, underwent surgery to repair a thoracic aortic aneurysm. Weaver’s family joined the ongoing genetic research at UTHealth’s John Ritter Research Program to see if the disease-causing gene they carry can be identified. Until then, Weaver will continue having regular imaging, which he has done since he was 13 years old. “I now have two boys, ages 9 and 12 years old, and I hope as they grow older, the mystery of this disease will be solved,” he said.
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