The 5th annual Run With Coops was held today at Southward Community Park in Grimsby.
It’s a 1-kilometer walk/run in honor of one of its residents, Cooper, who was diagnosed with a condition known as TSC and had his first seizure at just 6 weeks old.
The Cooper Robertson Foundation raises funds and awareness for TSC. The funds raised go towards the SickKids clinic in Toronto supporting families through this condition.
Dr. Lauren Sham from SickKids Hospital says, “TSC stands for tuberous sclerosis complex. This is a genetic condition meaning that kids are born with this. What happens is tumours can form in different parts of your body.”
Dr. Lauren Sham states that some individuals are mildly affected while others require significant support. She notes that most diagnoses occur early in life but can also happen in adults.
Cooper’s aunt Kristina Yallin says, “Those early days were definitely very hard even with a great support system which Steph and Dave definitely have. But it’s really hard to watch from the sidelines. You’re not in the day-to-day of it all. But what we can do is set up the foundation and have families come out and support whatever way we can.”
Organizers say their goal is to hit $100,000 by December.
If you want to support other families with TSC or need more information, click here.
