VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Running is not for the faint of heart — it takes time, dedication, stamina, and heart.
That’s exactly what a Virginia Beach teenager has. He’s lacing up his running shoes to raise money for operation smile this weekend.
Jackson Doane is gearing up to hit the streets for the 50th annual Shamrock Marathon to raise money for Operation Smile.
“Being involved in Operation Smile means that I can change the lives of people affected by cleft conditions worldwide. Operation Smile allows me to amplify the voices of these patients; I do this by sharing my own story,” said Doane.
He was born with a cleft condition that required 11 surgeries on his cleft lip and palate. Doane’s most recent surgery was in August 2021.
He was invited to speak at the 2019 Operation Smile International Student Leadership Conference. Since then, he became the president of the Operation Smile club at First Colonial High School and was named an ambassador for Operation Smile.
Doane is also a founding member of the Operation Smile initiative “Cleft Connect” which is a monthly online meeting for students living with treated cleft conditions worldwide.
“My own conditions truly inspired me to get involved with Operation Smile,” Doane added.
This involvement includes being part of the Miles for Smiles team which is a group of Operation Smile volunteers, supporters and staff members who will all be participating in one the Shamrock Marathon racing events.
It will be his first marathon.
“I was inspired to run the Shamrock Marathon by the journeys our patients have to take to travel to Operation Smile surgery sites,” Doane said. “Some patients and their families have to walk for days to get their child to a surgical mission center. While the distance of a marathon is not nearly as long as some of the treacherous journeys made by our patients, my running of the marathon is how I am standing in solidarity with our patients.”
Doane has set a goal of raising $10,000 for Operation Smile by participating in the Shamrock Marathon.
“It only takes one person to make a huge difference in our world, but if we all sit back on issues and never act towards resolving them, then the conditions of our world are never going to improve,” Doane said.
Click here to donate and see the fundraiser.
