Last May, Hayward&8217;s Bryce Gaudian fulfilled a dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. On April 21, he plans on running the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in the 112th running of the Boston Marathon.

Gaudian had another dream recently fulfilled as well. It has been a great privilege for him over the past four years to run marathons to help raise money for the extraordinary work of St. Jude Children&8217;s Research Hospital through the great support of businesses and many generous others.

Ever since, he hoped for an opportunity to visit St. Jude&8217;s in person.

That dream became a reality this past October when a business trip took him right through Memphis, Tenn. and St. Jude&8217;s accommodated giving Bryce a one-on-one tour with a member of its St. Jude Heroes running program staff.

The tour confirmed what had been genuinely felt all along. From this epicenter of compassion emanates amazing labors of love. There is an indomitable presence of hope at St. Jude&8217;s which helps children and families run with patience their very own &8220;marathons&8221; towards wholeness.

This past October while in Wisconsin for the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon, Gaudian had the inspiring experience of meeting Bill Rodgers &8212; four time winner of both the Boston and New York City marathons.

After learning of Guadian&8217;s desire to raise money for St. Jude Children&8217;s Research Hospital through the upcoming Boston Marathon, Bill Rodgers sent him a brand new pair of personally autographed Brook&8217;s Triumph running shoes.

Gaudian contacted St. Jude&8217;s for a specific child and family to run on behalf of and raise money for their and others care.

This year, he will be running for a precious little girl &8212; Anna Grace (&8220;Amazing Grace,&8221; as she has been called).

Anna Grace was abandoned on the roadside of a rural community in southern China when she was only a day old. She was rescued to an orphanage in Le Chang, China, and was eventually adopted by Pastor Greg and Nancy Davis from the United States. Less than a week after arrival to her new home in Mississippi, Anna Grace was losing the ability to sit up on her own, and one of her eyes had begun wandering inward. A CAT scan revealed an orange-sized medulloblastoma tumor on her brain stem. Anna Grace survived the complex, life-threatening brain surgery. At St. Jude Children&8217;s Research Hospital, she then began 16 months of chemotherapy and a procedure called conformal radiation.

Gaudian is now seeking support from businesses, friends, families and interested and generous others who would come alongside his Boston Marathon run, to raise as much money as possible for the great work of St. Jude&8217;s. He&8217;s set a fundraising goal of $10,000.

With the high profile and world renowned stature of the Boston Marathon and the incomparable work of St. Jude&8217;s, Guadian is hoping that a significant number of area businesses and folks will partner with him for St. Jude&8217;s. He&8217;ll provide the sweat equity to endure the marathon run, and he&8217;s asking you in the community to provide the money to help the most vulnerable of children with cancer or some other catastrophic disease and their families endure their own marathon run, so to speak, of going through the processes of becoming whole. At St. Jude&8217;s, as an operating principle, no one pays for treatment beyond what is covered by insurance, and those without insurance are never asked to pay.

This is an amazingly compassionate nonprofit organization worthy of your support.