Jennifer Sime and Tim Meyer are doing their part to educate others about Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).
Sime and Meyer recently ran in the Chicago Marathon as a part of Team Danny Did, a national foundation with a mission to prevent deaths caused by seizures.
They did so in memory of Brendan Numedahl, Sime’s son and Meyer’s close childhood friend.
Remembering Brendan
Brendan, a 2017 graduate of Decorah High School, is the son of Jennifer (Todd) Sime and Perry (Meg) Numedahl.
Brendan and Meyer grew up in the same neighborhood. Meyer said they spent hours running around their streets, playing football and jumping on the trampoline. In high school, they were both a part of the track team, often running together in the 800-meter distance.
When he was 10 years old, Brendan was diagnosed with epilepsy.
In the fall of 2017, Brendan enrolled at Iowa State University, where Tim was a sophomore.
“Brendan was one of the hardest workers I ever met. You would never hear him complain about anything,” said Tim. “Brendan and I reconnected when we had chemistry together at Iowa State. I always looked forward to class because joking around in class with him made chemistry a little more tolerable.”
On Nov. 28, 2017, just 105 days into his college career, Brendan passed away from SUDEP.
“Brendan is described by many as a quiet, easy-going person who worked hard at everything he did, leading by his actions and example. He was a very simple person who did not need anything fancy or special. He just wanted an opportunity to contribute to help his friends and teammates,” said Jennifer. “His high school friends and teammates said he worked harder for his team than himself. His college friends referred to him as the big brother, the one who made sure they were all taken care of. Brendan would not want to be remembered as a boy with epilepsy, but rather a boy who lived everyday to the fullest, despite epilepsy.”
Learning about Danny Did
In 2019, Sime was introduced to the Danny Did Foundation (DDF), named after four-year old Danny Stanton, who died of SUDEP in 2010. After following the foundation on social media, Sime learned there was a last call for runners for the 2019 Chicago Marathon.
Sime was a runner in high school and used running as a stress reliever and outlet while completing Luther College’s nursing program. She completed her first marathon, Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn., in 2004. She also has raced in the “Marathon to Marathon” from Storm Lake to Marathon (Iowa) as well as the New York City Marathon.
It had been 14 years since her last marathon, but the thought of running for Team Danny Did brought peace to Sime. After a final call for runners, Sime, with the support of her husband Todd, signed up to run. This prompted a call with Tom Stanton, Danny’s uncle and the executive director at DDF.
“I shared with Tom that 18 months prior, I lost my son Brendan to SUDEP and although I had not run a marathon in 14 years, I knew that this was something I wanted to do,” said Sime. “As the conversation continued, I knew very quickly that the Danny Did Foundation was an organization that I wanted and needed to be a part of. The support they provide and opportunities they offer to help spread awareness about epilepsy and SUDEP, while honoring Brendan’s life, is what this mom’s grieving heart needs.”
On Oct. 13, 2019, Sime ran the Chicago Marathon in memory of Brendan. That started her relationship with the DDF. Last fall, with the Chicago Marathon cancelled due to COVID-19, the DDF did a virtual 1-in-26 challenge event, symbolizing how 1-in-26 people will develop epilepsy in their life. Sime did a half-marathon each day of the weekend. She was joined by her seven-year-old daughter Ivy on her bike, as well as the Luther football team, in honor of Sime’s father Bob Nasland.
In January 2021, Sime joined the Danny Did Foundation Board of Directors as one of two parents who have lost a child to SUDEP.
Tim runs
After completing his high school track and cross country career, Meyer continued to run for fun while at Iowa State. He said he had a goal of competing in a marathon but never trained the distances needed to complete a marathon. That’s when Sime reached out.
“I knew what a great experience it is to be a part of something like this, and I wanted to share that with others and particularly someone who knew Brendan well,” she said. “To run as part of Team Danny Did and in memory of Brendan, well, Tim was the first to come to mind and I had no hesitation in reaching out to him.”
The race took part on October 10. It was 70 degrees that day, not ideal for running. Sime said cramps began to set in around mile 15.
“I talked to Brendan a lot during this time and reminded myself of all the kids who live with epilepsy and the brave fight they and their caregivers are doing every day,” she said. It was with that motivation that she was able to cross the finish line.
“Running as a part of a team and for this cause is amazing,” said Sime, noting there were 9,000 charity runners that day. “The Chicago Marathon itself is an amazing experience. Running through 29 neighborhoods, all with their own level of energy and individually, with 35,000 other runners and over a million spectators cheering you on. The atmosphere is awesome. I usually run with my AirPods and music, but you don’t need that with all the excitement that carries you each mile of the Chicago Marathon.”
For Meyer, Brendan wasn’t far from his mind as he ticked off every mile.
“Training was full of ups and downs. It was very exciting to be running distances that I never had before and extremely fulfilling to complete the marathon. During early mornings and tough runs, I was able to push through knowing that I was doing this for a greater purpose as well as having a great support system to help keep me motivated,” said Meyer. “The atmosphere on race day was so amazing, there were people constantly cheering and all of the runners were so supportive of each other. The last few miles were tough due to the heat, but it was easy to push through the pain knowing what I was running for.”
Together, Meyer and Sime raised $7,000 for Team Danny Did, with many donations coming from family, friends and the Decorah community.
“We are grateful and give thanks for their generous giving,” said Sime.
Running again
It was an easy decision for Sime and Meyer to sign up for the 2022 marathon with Team Danny Did. For Sime, running the marathon is a way to honor Brendan.
“Someday I will not be able to do this. Today is not that day.”
Submit A Comment
Fill out the form to submit a comment. All comments require approval by our staff before it is displayed on the website.