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FeedMiracle Miles
Marathon runner Donna Noble will be cheered on by a very special Patient Champion
Photos by Tim Johnson
Bouncing on the trampoline in the backyard of his Grove City home, Kole Noble is a carefree 3-year-old. It’s hard to believe the adopted son of Donna and Rich Noble suffers from short bowel syndrome, which requires a daily 18-hour IV feed, and had doctors predicting he may not live past the age of 2.
Kole’s inspiring story of survival will be one of 26 shared with 18,000 runners and thousands of fans on Oct. 21 at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon, which benefits the hospital for the first time. A Miracle Mile Patient Champion will dot each mile marker, themed to show off the personality of the child cheerleader. Kole will mark the .2-mile push to the finish.
Donna, who started running last year to honor her son Kyle, whom she lost five years ago to an incurable disease, will run her first marathon as part of fundraising team Kole’s Kontenders. —Beth Stallings
The thought of me running was enough to make me laugh. Then a friend said you can run to raise money for the hospice program at Children’s in honor of Kyle. And that’s all it took for motivation. I thought with all he endured every day, I can suck it up and put one foot in front of the other.
For eight years, Children’s Hospital supported us every day of Kyle’s walk. Nobody should ever have to go through what we went through, but I am so grateful we had our hospital and our team. This is why I say Children’s is our second family.
It’s going to be so inspirational this year knowing you only have to go a mile until you see a cute little smiling face.
I train with Marathon In Training. Now when we’re up to 18 miles, and I’m whining or my pace group is whining, we talk about all these kids that would give anything to be able to run and play like other kids.
My biggest fear is that something’s going to happen and I’m not going to be able to finish, and I will let Kole down.
We are so blessed. Kole is the happiest, smiliest, most outgoing kid you could ever meet. His motto is, “Have backpack, will travel.” He does not let it slow him down. He’s got a fighting spirit.
We try to let him be a boy because, unfortunately, there are no guarantees for tomorrow. That’s why raising money for Children’s is so important, because not every kid who comes through that door is going to get their miracle. But for those that aren’t, the more we can do [the better], so what life they do have they can live to the fullest.
