Jason's Full-Circle Moment
Jason Warren will be one of the first wish alumni in our chapter’s history to run the New York City Marathon on behalf of Make-A-Wish Metro New York. His story of optimism and bravery despite his medical condition is one to watch as he and his marathon crew sprint to the finish line in the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon.
A Wish Affects Everyone Involved
The power of a wish for a child, their family and friends can positively affect the trajectory of their lives.
This was true for Jason Warren, his brother Josh, and their three lifelong friends - Aaron Dannenbaum, Evan Dannenbaum, and Sam Rose.
At nine, Jason was diagnosed with a vascular disorder which resulted in a stroke and several seizures. A competitive child by nature, he was forced to sit on the sidelines of his young life while he endured six years of treatments and strict limitations on his physical activity.
With the help of his family, brother, and best friends, Jason found other ways to have fun through activities such as bowling, talking with friends and playing video games.
Similarly, Josh’s lifelong friend Evan said, “He attacked his condition with an incredibly strong mindset. Seeing the way he approached it gave us perspective on how to face challenges in our own lives, from then to this very day.” Evan’s older brother Aaron described Jason as “an example of a great kid, not a great kid with a vascular disorder.”
With the help of Make-A-Wish New Jersey, Jason’s wish of spending the day at an arcade with his brother Josh and best friend Aaron was granted. They traveled to The Falls Arcade in a limousine and had the opportunity to not only play every game there, but to choose a game to bring home. After much consideration, Jason selected Artic Thunder.
Reflecting on the emotions of his wish day, Jason shared, “You’re going through so much that’s negative on a day-to-day basis, with doctor appointments, a lot of things that you don’t want to hear, and to have this beam of light rock our world - in a good way - was really special.”
The opportunity to bring part of his wish home with him was incredible for Jason. “The game allowed me to continue on in my happiness as I went through treatments and surgeries for the next five to six years.”
Along with bringing joy to Jason’s life, his wish also reignited his competitive nature. Jason and crew battled to see who held the high score on Arctic Thunder. When the Warren brothers went to bed, their dad Scott often headed to the basement to try and beat their high scores. According to Jason and Josh, their parents were as positively impacted by the wish as they were. They continue to support the Make-A-Wish mission by donating and attending events.
Running the TCS New York City Marathon
Today, Jason is a successful real estate agent based in Atlanta, Georgia. He will be going for his very last check-in and scans around the time of the New York City Marathon this year. For him, running that race feels like “a true full-circle moment.”
The five friends had long discussed running the New York City Marathon together. After the 2021 race, Sam finally put in their group chat, “We’re doing this next year!”
“There isn’t a more perfect scenario than to be able to do it with these guys, for Make-A-Wish, in this city,” shared Evan. “It’s an awesome opportunity for us to be able to go full circle,” said Josh.
Jason will be one of the first wish alumni in our chapter’s history to run the New York City Marathon on behalf of Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York.
Even though the friends live in different cities, they encourage one another to train every day, pushing the number of miles they run and preparing for November.
Jason acknowledges that training for the marathon will be challenging, but the reward is much bigger than just crossing the finish line. “There are definitely going to be some tough runs and moments to get through in preparation but knowing that you have your buddies with you and that we have been through something way tougher together, that’s a cool feeling.”
Jason’s advice to wish kids facing a critical illness is, “Really lean into the wish; it’s such a wonderful and warm process that makes the whole family feel so special. Sometimes, it can be hard to let other people take care of you, because you don’t want to feel like a burden to anyone. What Make-A-Wish does is takes that all away.”
We are so honored to be making history and coming full circle with Jason, Josh, Sam, Evan, and Aaron as they run the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon. We can’t wait to cheer them on this November!