Victoria Ramirez's Fundraiser:

When I learned that the John Ritter Foundation would be one of the official charities of the 2012 ING New York City Marathon, I jumped at the chance to join Team Ritter. Not only did I want to fulfill a longtime goal of running that prestigious marathon -- I also wanted to raise money to fight the disease that took my Aunt Michele, a dear loved one, at the age of 45. She passed away suddenly from a thoracic aortic dissection on April 7, 2009. The JRF and the ING NYC Marathon have presented me with an amazing opportunity to increase awareness of thoracic aortic disease, as well as raise funds to support education and research.

These organizations have also provided me with a personally fulfilling opportunity to do something positive and concrete in loving memory of my aunt. Maybe, by raising money to support research and awareness, I can make enough of an impact to help someone else’s loved one. I'm thrilled to be part of a team made up of people who are passionate about increasing awareness of aortic dissection and its risk factors and committed to raising funds to support the JRF.