HUNTSVILLE, Ala. —
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and the Huntsville Track Club (HTC) aren't letting COVID-19 get in the way of this year's Double Helix Dash 5k.
This year, to allow participants to practice social distancing and protect everyone from COVID-19 exposure, the race will be the first Virtual Double Helix Dash 5K. Here’s how it works:
- Registrants can run the 5K anywhere and anytime between March 31 and April 14.
- Simply log your time via HTC’s online form and send a photo to back it up (screenshot of fitness app, or time on Garmin, etc). We are encouraging runners to wear their Double Helix Dash shirts from previous years in their photos.
- HTC will track and post results. Participants must log their times by Tuesday, April 14, at 11:59 pm. Please note that while we will publish full results, due to the nature of the event, there will be no formal awards for top finishers.
- There will still be swag bags, but likely not until a later date. Participants will be notified of packet pick-up dates and times when current restrictions are lifted.
According to HudsonAlpha, the Double Helix Dash supports childhood genetic disorders research at HudsonAlpha, which is providing answers, and hope, to families across Alabama. One of those children is Violet Monson of Montgomery, AL. She's this year’s Childhood Champion.
Violet was diagnosed with Rett syndrome through HudsonAlpha’s Clinical Sequencing and Exploratory Research (CSER) project, which works to diagnose children with unexplained developmental delays through the use of genomic sequencing.
“D-Day” (Diagnosis Day) for Violet was May 12, 2016. After months of waiting in between doctors appointments, it was on this day that her parents Matt and Mandy finally learned a name for their daughter’s condition, Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome is a rare neurological disorder affecting 1 in 10,000 girls across the globe.
With a diagnosis in hand, they were able to connect with the world’s top Rett syndrome specialist, located only a few miles away in Birmingham, Ala., and also look into clinical trials for Violet.
“When we make a clinical diagnosis, it can sometimes lead to tremendous benefits for the family,” said Greg Cooper, PhD, faculty investigator at HudsonAlpha who led the CSER project. “Having that knowledge about what’s happening allows them to have a better sense of what to expect in the future, a chance to connect to other families going through a similar experience, and possibly the ability to get better treatment options.”
“Just having a name meant so much to us,” said Mandy. “I still think she would be undiagnosed if it wasn’t for HudsonAlpha.”
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