For Annette Laffosse, running is more than a personal challenge. Over the past year, it has also become a way to support causes that matter to her.
A mother of two, Annette serves in the military and is also a police officer. Running has become a hobby, and as she began taking on longer races, she found opportunities to raise money for children and adults with disabilities.
Earlier this year, Annette ran a 5K with her children in support of Special Olympics New Jersey. Her next challenge is the London Marathon in April, where she will run as a fundraiser for Sense, a London-based charity supporting people with complex disabilities, including those who are deafblind or have multiple disabilities.
Annette was selected to run for Sense with a fundraising goal of £2,400, about $3,300. She reached the goal in just five days—on her birthday.
Instead of stopping there, she encouraged people to continue donating.
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“For my birthday, I just asked for others to continue donating to my charity because it’s not just about me,” she said. “As much as I want to run the marathon, it’s not just about me. It’s also about the children and their families and the support.”
A personal connection to the cause
Annette does not work directly with special-needs families or with Sense. Her involvement is through fundraising, but her connection to the cause is personal.
Annette has a 12-year-old son whom she describes as having relatively mild special needs. Raising him has helped her understand how much support families may need, particularly when a child learns or processes information differently.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when her son was about 5, schooling at home gave the family a closer look at how he learned.
“We were able to see where his shortfalls were and how to help him and how to best assist,” she said.
She has also watched friends navigate more significant challenges with their children, including a friend whose son is autistic and nonverbal.
“Each family is going to be in a different situation,” Annette said.
Those experiences have shaped her understanding of what families need.
“As regular parents, you need a village, regardless,” she said. “But a child who has special needs, you need a little bit more, and also people who understand you.”
From running to fundraising
For Annette, charitable fundraising developed naturally from her running. The Special Olympics race required fundraising, while the London Marathon allowed her to choose an organization that felt meaningful to her.
She applied to several charities and was selected by three. She ultimately chose Sense because its work with people with complex disabilities resonated with her.
“I selected charities that I felt were important to me,” she said.
Although fundraising was part of earning her place on the London Marathon team, Annette did not expect to reach her goal so quickly.
“I didn’t expect to reach my goal right away,” she said. “I expected for me to still struggle and get to my goal come April.”
Instead, friends, family and others supported her effort, allowing her to reach the goal within five days.
Now, she is training for the 26.2-mile London Marathon, her first full marathon. She knows it will require more than simply running.
“You have to do proper nutrition, proper training,” she said. “You have to follow a plan. You have to strength train just to ensure that your body’s prepared for the impact you’re putting it through.”
Compassion, kindness and understanding
Annette hopes her experiences can also encourage people to have more compassion toward families raising children with disabilities.
“I just think people need to have more compassion overall,” she said. “Teach your kids to be kind. Teach them to be nice and respect others.”
She has seen children like her son misunderstood or teased because they process information more slowly.
“My son is actually very smart,” she said. “It’s just that it takes him a minute to process.”
For Annette, differences in how children learn or communicate should not become reasons for bullying or exclusion. Children can be taught to treat others respectfully even when they do not fully understand another family’s circumstances.
“What may be normal to one family is not normal to another,” she said.
She believes that simple acts of kindness can also make a difference.
“Sometimes, like, hey, I hope you have a nice day,” she said. “Those little things go a long way.”
Finding support and asking for help
Annette encourages parents and caregivers to remember that asking for help is not a sign of failure.
“It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to feel like you’re failing because you’re not,” she said. “You’re doing your best, and nobody’s gonna get it right.”
She encourages families to find people they trust, learn more about their children and remain open to support from others who have faced similar experiences.
“Don’t be afraid of asking for help,” she said.
She also believes support should be passed along. Someone who has received guidance or encouragement can later offer it to another family facing a similar challenge.
“Once you get it, give it to somebody else as well,” Annette said. “Just continue the cycle.”
Although she has already reached her fundraising goal for the London Marathon, Annette continues to ask people to support Sense because, for her, the effort is about more than completing a race.
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