Sudbury Native Diagnosed With Neurological Disorder Participates In Run To Home Base

SUDBURY, MA—Beth Ludwig, a Hanscom Air Force Base Primary School principal and Sudbury native, was recently diagnosed with dystonia, and will participating in the 8th annual Run to Home Base on July 15. Run To Home Base's mission is to heal the invisible wounds for Post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families.

Similar to Parkinson’s disease, dystonia is a neurological disorder in which a person’s muscles contract uncontrollably, according to the announcement. Symptoms can be mild or severe, but physical therapy is sometimes used to help treat dystonia. For the last several months, Ludwig has been using running to retrain – or rewire - her brain to process motor and sensory signals normally again.

That is where the Run to Home Base comes in.

This July, Ludwig will participate in the 8th annual Run to Home Base presented by New Balance at Fenway in support of Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program. The 9K run and 5K run/walk begins outside Fenway Park and ends with participants crossing home plate, raising necessary funds for the clinical care and support provided by Home Base and their mission to heal the invisible wounds for Post-9/11 Veterans, Service Members and their Families. Invisible wounds include post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and other issues associated with the deployment cycle.

Ludwig first learned about the event through a friend who had participated last summer. Given her military connections through her work at Hanscom, it was the perfect event for her. Having something tangible to train and fundraise for has helped Ludwig channel her time and energy into something positive, despite her diagnosis, said the release.

Though she initially set her fundraising goal at $750, Ludwig surpassed her goal after just three days. Since then, she has set the bar a bit higher – to $2,000. She is currently less than $500 from her fundraising goal.

Given her diagnosis, Ludwig’s participation in the Run will be no easy feat, but her steps through Fenway at the end of the 9K event will be filled with purpose, continues the announcement. Just like the soldiers she is fundraising to support, Ludwig is carrying out a mission “hurt.” Though she is inspired by those she is running for, her own personal story is an inspiration in itself.

If you would like to support the Beth and help her reach her Run to Home Base fundraising finish line, visit her 2017 Run to Home Base fundraising page.

Submitted by A Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program