At age 2, Aubrey Virgin was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, a rare condition that causes inflammation of blood vessels in young children.
Virgin was fortunate — she received a quick and early diagnosis, preventing the disease from further developing and limiting potential complications.
But the diagnosis meant Virgin and her family would be closely following breakthroughs with studies and treatments.
That led the Virgins to the annual Alaska Heart Run and Walk. Aubrey participated in her first run at age 6.
The 46th edition was held Saturday in the parking lot of the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. Over those decades, the event has raised millions of dollars and spread awareness and information about cardiac disease.
Now a high school junior, Virgin wasn’t at Saturday’s event — but that’s a good thing. She competes on the cross country team for Colony High School, which participated in a big meet in Chugiak. Virgin finished ninth in a large, competitive field of nearly 130 varsity runners.
She has also played soccer and is an active trail runner, competing five times in the Mount Marathon junior division. While being so active may have been scary at first, she has refused to let the disease define her.
“There are a lot of kids who go through similar stuff to me, and they won’t do the stuff I do because they’re afraid there might be another consequence or they’re holding themselves back because of their disease,” she said. “I feel like it’s something that people can take pride in — the fact that they can do this stuff that a normal kid can do on top of having a disease.”
The disease still wreaks havoc on her immune system, and that means an uncertain future.
“She doesn’t know how long she’ll be able to do all the things she does,” said Shannon Virgin, Aubrey’s mom. “So she just has this this light and this gift that she feels like she doesn’t want to waste. So she wants to do all the things now, because she doesn’t know when she won’t be able to do them.”
Aubrey only walked in her first Heart Walk and Run at age 6, but became increasingly active over the years.
“That first year was just defining for us in that,” Shannon Virgin said. “It meant so much more, and it was so much bigger than what we knew it was. And being able to be a part of it was just so meaningful. And so the next year was when we started really fundraising and really getting involved.”
As the years went by, the community has become an important factor as Aubrey Virgin continues to live with Kawasaki disease.
“It’s really cool to connect with people who might not have had the exact same experience, but we can relate on a lot of things,” she said. “It’s fun to be able to share each other’s stories and how we’ve gotten through it and what we do now. (It’s important) to know that we’re not alone through this type of stuff, that you’re not the only one out there that goes through that.”
Virgin wasn’t the only regular participant to continue to evolve as an athlete after a diagnosis.
In 2021, Anchorage resident Matthew Hansen had a bacterial infection that destroyed a portion of his aortic valve, necessitating open-heart surgery. He needed a second procedure shortly afterward, in early 2022.
During the rehabilitation process, he met Cheryl Myers, a cardiac rehab physical therapist at Alaska Regional Hospital and the coach of the Straight Outta Cardiac Rehab.
Myers said the daily rehab prompted him to continue to try to get into better shape.
“I got motivated to try to keep that trajectory going,” Hansen said. “And then I had this crazy idea, like, what if I kept going? What if I run a marathon? Wouldn’t that be cool?”
And next weekend, Hansen will reach that goal. He is scheduled to run the Kenai River Marathon.
“I’m excited, but kind of nervous too,” he said. “So it’s really poetic for me.”
After shifting from an orthopedic PT to cardiac rehab, Myers has been the coach of a team. This year the Alaska Regional team surpassed their goal by raising over $3,000.
“We’ve got guys who’ve run before, guys who’ve never run,” Myers said of her team. “To be able to get out for walk, I think it’s just about the camaraderie of it.”
The team aspect is a key part of the Heart Run and Walk, both for fundraising and, as Myers mentioned, the camaraderie.
The Costco Business Center team participates in a number of events during the year, including the Run for Women and Run/Walk for Mental Health.
Team member Gaby Rodriguez said there is a personal incentive but also a broader motivation.
“It’s not just for us and our family, but for everybody else to show that it’s important to show up to these things, because you never know what might happen,” she said.
Team member Alison Advincula said there isn’t too much competitiveness between the two Costco branches, with one notable exception.
“I work (at the Business Center) and my wife works (at Dimond), and we’re both in charge of health and wellness, so we compete a little bit,” she said.