Story
Let’s all be Superheroes.
We’re accepting donations (that’s right, we don’t want wedding gifts!), instead, we want you to make a difference to support sick kids lives around the world.
Jamie McDonald, the founder of the charity Superhero Foundation, is an ordinary individual.
When I say ordinary, let me tell you, he is ordinary. When you meet him you will find yourself standing in front of a scrawny averaged height man that more than likely needs a hair cut and some attention to his facial hair.
Jamie is actually Craig’s best man. Well, ‘second’ best man. That he is not too happy about, but hey ho!
Yes, he’ll be at our wedding, potentially dressed up, and probably not in a tuxedo.
His Gloucestershire accent isn’t particularly charming and likely not to make your heart skip a beat BUT then he smiles, makes eye contact with you and those words he creates will change your life in ways you are likely ill equipped to endure. That is when this ordinary man transforms into Adventureman.
Adventureman is a firm believer and often speaks about our own ability to be a superhero. He even dresses like one. In order to become one, you just have to find your unique power or ability and exploit it for the greater good. Sometimes that unique power isn’t apparent at birth.
For the first nine years of Jamie’s life, he was in and out of hospital with a rare spinal condition called Syringomyelia. Combined with a very weak immune system, epilepsy and problems with his legs; Jamie’s family feared he’d end up in a wheelchair and would never walk again.
In his later years, healthy and well as an adult, he’s transformed into Adventureman when he walked away from his comfortable job and lifestyle the day he was to close on his first home and instead chose a life of service by raising money to giveback to the hospitals in the UK that saved his life. This has lead him to raising money for hospitals around the world too.
In the U.S.A. he chose to do this by running. This would be his first but most definitely not his last adventure. Adventureman’s nature to forgo the easy road in order to take the most affective and rewarding one was very apparent when in less than a year he ran (completely solo) 210 marathons around America!
While running he passed through 22 states, starting in the most Northwestern corner, along the southern boarder and then up to the most Northeastern corner. This was probably not the most direct path but likely the most affective one. As he ran no matter where he was he lived off of butter and tuna, slept in a tent, raised money for children’s hospitals and created a community strengthened with the common goal of helping children.
To date, with a lot of help from others, his adventures have raised millions for charity.
Jamie’s story is an emotional one. He is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles, laser focused on his desire to fund children’s hospitals while living off the bare minimums himself. He is kind, humble, strong, honest, fair, brave and adventurous. This amazing and yet ordinary man has truly transformed into an extraordinary superhero.
We may not be as adventurous or extraordinary as Jamie, but we all can make a difference.
Join us in donating to his non profit to support sick kid’s lives around the world. Instead of a wedding gift, let’s all put on our capes, rally together and embrace our own inner superhero.
So dig deep, donate as little, or as much as you can!
Big love,
Kimberly and Craig xxx