By Carrie McClish
Staff writer

When Kevin Machi took up running some four years ago, he found that he not only enjoyed pushing himself physically, he liked the journey.

Katie Machi shows her buoyant spirit while undergoing treatment for scleroderma. MACHI FAMILY PHOTO

“It is very hard to describe the feeling I get 20 miles into a long run . . . or waking up at 4:30 a.m. to fit a 10-mile run in before heading off to work for the day,” said Machi, who runs three days a week, often on the trails of Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore. “I get a lot of thinking done while out running and have found it to be a great way to start the day.”

This year Machi is running for another reason — for his seven-year-old niece, Katie, and others like her who are living with scleroderma.

After Katie was diagnosed in December, Machi, a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, decided that he would run a marathon a month throughout 2009 to raise awareness of the auto-immune disease and raise $7,500 for the Scleroderma Foundation. With three marathons completed, he has already raised over $1,900.

Machi’s 12-month marathon journey is posted on a website sponsored by the Scleroderma Strikers, which is made up of a group of athletes that compete in running and triathalon events around the country to raise funds for the Scleroderma Foundation.

Machi is currently listed as the top fundraiser. Visitors to Machi’s page on the site at http://www.firstgiving.com/12in12 can read about his goal, see details about his training, track his progress and make an online donation.

Katie’s diagnosis came as a shock to his family, said Machi, who is married and the father of two. His daughter and Katie were born within weeks of one another and are “extremely close.” His decision to run the marathons came from the need to do “my small part” to help find a cure for this disease that affects an estimated 300,000 in the U.S.

Scleroderma is an auto-immune disease that causes a variety of symptoms that can range from very mild to life-threatening. It results from an overproduction or accumulation of collagen in body tissues. Collagen is a protein found in a person’s connective tissues, such as the skin. One of the most visible signs of scleroderma is the tightening or hardening of the skin.

Katie, a Pleasanton first grader, was diagnosed in December with the linear form of scleroderma, which is common in children, according to MayoClinic.com. One characteristic involved bands or streaks of hardened skin on one or both arms or legs or on the forehead.

In what Keith Machi, Katie’s father, described as providential, Katie’s scleroderma was detected while she was being treated for alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. During a check-up Katie’s doctor noticed what looked like a bruise on the young girl’s forehead. The bruise was quickly biopsied and the scleroderma was diagnosed.

Treatment, which included “some heavy duty meds like IV steroids,” started immediately. Fortunately, Katie emerged from the first part of the treatment with no side effects, said her father. “She is doing very well.”

It is hoped that with continued treatment Katie will outgrow her scleroderma. However, if it had been left untreated, the disease could have caused a dent in the girl’s skull.

“If not for her hair loss we probably would have not seen it. There are blessings in everything,” said Keith Machi, who serves as director of youth ministry at St. Isidore Parish in Danville. Katie’s mom, Mary, is youth minister at St. Joan of Arc Parish in San Ramon.

Machi called his younger brother’s plans for 12 marathons in 12 months “very moving,” adding, “that he would even consider doing this is fantastic.”

He said that his daughter understands what “Uncle Kevin” is doing but shies away from the spotlight. “She gets embarrassed at the attention.” He and his wife hope to bring Katie to a marathon where they will cheer on their marathon runner.

home