Report of the Kennedymarch 2003: Fundraising walk for Vasa Previa

At 4.30 in the morning the alarm bell goes off, time to get up and prepare for the big challenge: the 80 kilometer long Kennedy March. John F. Kennedy once said that a healthy human being can´t even walk 50 miles within 20 hours. Marlou and Colette van Dijck are planning on proving him wrong today. But they´re not doing it for themselves, but for Julia, Marlou´s little daugther who died during labor because of the results of vasa previa. With this march, which they´re using as a fundraising walk, they´re trying to collect money for the Vasa Previa Foundation. Money that is needed to create more awareness for this fatal pregnancy complication.

It is very busy at the Sportcenter in Sittard, the place where the march will start. After picking up our participant card and getting the first checkup stamp, they´re leaving, together with the more than 3000 other particiants.
The first kilometers are pretty nasty because they all have to go through narrow alleys and streets, so that they don´t get the chance to walk in their own speed. But after 5 kilometers the walkers have spreid up and Colette and Marlou are getting the taste of it. It is cold and the wind is blowing hard, especially in the open field. But they´re doing well and when they´re arriving at Böhmerwald (Germany),  the first resting area, they´re not ready for a break yet. Still they´re stoping for a minute because Colette feels a blister coming up. A piece of tape needs to stop the blister from developing.

Off they go again, towards Vlodrop (29 km), where the cameraman of the TV-network SBS 6 is ready to shoot some takes for the Dutch newsshow ´Heart of the Netherlands´. That evening, at 23.15 Marlou will appear on the broadcast to explain what vasa previa is, one of the PR-activities which will power the March.
The ´supportteam´, existing of Marlou´s husband Robert, daugther Floor and the parents of the ladies is also waiting for them. At the sportscentre in Vlodrop, Colette takes a number to be helped upon her blister, which is hurting more and more. During the wait they´re both being massaged by mother Liesbeth. The wait lasts (too) long and when it is finally Colette´s turn, they refuse to do something about her blister because it is not ripe yet. There is also a huge line at the toilets which causes them to continue their journey after an hour.

The next stop is Reigershorst (40 km), just after Montfort. During this way they run into Martine and Paul, friends of Colette, who have come over especially to support them. This is a long road so they can certainly use their support. When they´re finally at the resting place they´re pretty much through with it. 40 Kilometers is a well known breaking-point, which they need to bite through. A cup of hot soup and a leg- and footmassage is a bit of a relief. It is hard for them to keep on going though.

They continue their walk via the notorius bridge of Wessem, to the historical white little city Thorn (51 km). The bridge of Wessem, who leads them over the river the Maas, is known for its fast winds who can ush you off the road. But this year we´re not affected by them. They´re having a difficult time, these 10 kilometers. Marlou is wondering how she will be able to achieve 80 kilometers when she is already this exhausted. Colette´s blister is open now and extremely painful. One of her feet is also very painful. Just before Thorn, father Har, mother Liesbeth, Robert and Floor are there for them again with their car but it is cold and the wind is blowing. They are cololing down and need extra clothing to keep them warm. They agree that their next stop will be after 7 kilometers. Marlou switches her thin socks for thick ones and they proceed their walk.

Through Belgium they´re going, via Geistingen and Maaseik to Roosteren. Just before Geistingen Marlou is called by the regional radiostation START from Sittard, who are doing a live report on the Kennedymarch. She gets the chance to tell them about VP and what they´re trying to achieve with this walk. Especially for Colette, Marlou and the Foundation they´re playing a record.
Also because of this, Colette and Marlou are suddenly receiving an energyboost and after 7 kilometers they don´t feel like resting at all. Then they´re meeting a couple of friends of Colette (Peter, Miriam, little Philip, Ron and Liesbeth), who have come all teh way to support and encourage them. Really fantastic!

They continue, all goes well, the wind has gone down, they can dela with the whole world. It seems like Julia has lend them her wings. Singing and chatting, they´re meeting their sister Jacqueline, who has been walking towards them from Maaseik. Also Peter is walking with the, with little Philip on his shoulders. Together they´re proceeding to Roosteren (64 km), where they´re receiving the next checkup stamp. They decide to take a little break anyway in the local sports centre. This is a nice pause, Floor can catch up with her mom before Robert will take her to bed. Also the feet and legs are being treated one more time.
After a quarter of an hour they´re moving on, together with mother Liesbeth, off to Nieuwstadt, the last city before the finish. Music is playing here and people are clapping for them when they´re walking by. The last 7,5 kilometers have started. Jacqueline is walking along with them and she pulls them to the finish using peptalks, singing songs and telling funny stories (the Amstelcommercials are really better on TV :-) ).

In Sittard they are literally counting down, from 5 km before the finish there are yellow signes marking each kilomater. These last kilometers are long, but they can smell the finish and they move along. Just after the market in Sittard Har and Liesbeth are walking towards them with beautiful flowers. They´re dragging them through the last meters. It is 5 before 12, will they make it before midnight?
Exhausted but very happy to have achieved this big achievement, they´re arriving at the Sportscentre again, the place where they´ve started this morning, 81 long kilometers ago. They are being welcomed through the finish with loud clapping and music.
 
Their names are being broadcasted by the organisation and appear on a big screen. They have arrived just before midnight!

(they did have the time until 2.00 a.m. by the way)
Proudly they´re receiving their bronze pin: their mission is accomplished, they have made the slogan on their T-shirts true:

80 kilometers for Julia, they can do it!!!

 

Thank you by Marlou and Colette:

We could have never achieved these 80 kilometers without the support of a big groups of people, who we would like to thank:

 Julia van Giersbergen: our dear little angel because of which we´re doing this. You made sure the March was happening, in spite of the Bird desease which is in the neighborhood, you made the sun appear in the morning, you made sure that the rain did not show up and that the wind went down. You gave us your wings when we really needed them and especially, you gave us the power and drive to go on, to achieve the full 80 kilometer!
Our supportteam: Robert, Floor, Har, Liesbeth and Jacqueline: you guys were absolutely amazing during the whole march. Without your massages, delicious sandwiches and other snacks, encouraging words, photo´s, the t-shirts and especially your unconditional support, we would never have made it!

Our travel companion Patrick: During the walk we have been teasingly calling you our (Easther)bunny, the one who had to catch the wind in front of us.

Unfortunately you did not make it yourself, after 55 kilometer you had to give up. That was not really strange considering the fact that you did not train at all and you had the flue.

But during the hard kilometers you have helped us proceed, with your encouraging words: Come on, only 2 miles to go (when there apeared to be 5 of them).

Our supporters during the walk: Martine, Paul, Ron, Liesbeth, Miriam, Peter and Philip. Fantastic that you have taken the time and energy to come by and support us!

Our telefonic supporters who have cheered us up over and over again using encouraging words and sweet SMS-messages: Kim, Dirk-Jan, Martine, Ruud en Liana. Thanks a lot guys!

SBS6 (Peter Kwee, Marleen Albach, Bas Goedvolk), Cock Rijneveen of the Westlandsche Courant, Geraldine Mars of the Velonieuws, Ben Dols of the Westlandpost and all the other people who have created awareness by putting our pressrelease in their papers. Because of you, vasa previa will be put on the map in the Netherlands and we will be closer to our goal.

The directors of the Vasa Previa Stichting in the Netherlands (Robert, Michel and Marleen) and the USA (Amy, Cindy, and Victoria) who have helped us prepare for the Kennedymarch. Because of your willingness to take action we´re coming closer and closer to our goal, step by step: to reduce the number of babies dying from VP, all over the world!

And furthermore we would like to thank everybody who has supported us by email or by donations, and everyone who will be donating to us after having read this email. Because of your support we can make sure that there will be less babies dying from vasa previa in the future. Superb that you´re willing to help us achieve this! Thanks!

To keep updated on what we´re doing, you can subscribe to the free newsletter of the Vasa Previa Foundation. We´re trying to send a newsletter to our members every quarter of a year. Subscribe using the following link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IVPF/