By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Brian and Jennifer Larsen have a super-cute 5-year-old daughter, Melody, and an adorable son, Axel, who will turn 2 in January.
As wonderful as their family is, there remains a huge void in Brian and Jennifer’s lives that was left by the death of their son, Leif Aleutian. Born prematurely, Leif died on Oct. 13, 2019, after a 52-hour fight for his life.
“After we lost Leif, the biggest thing was working through the grief and the lonely journey we had,” Jennifer said.
The Larsens, who live in Sea Isle City, wanted to commemorate their son’s brief life by raising awareness of premature birth and infant mortality, so they started the nonprofit Leif Aleutian Foundation.
On a breezy and chilly Sunday morning, the Larsens were joined on Sea Isle’s Promenade by about 50 people for the fourth annual Leif’s Legacy 5K Fun Run and Walk to raise money for two hospitals through their foundation.
Through the Leif’s Legacy event and their fundraising efforts, the Larsens have met other couples who have experienced the tragedy of infant mortality. They have tried to help the other couples through their heartbreak, Jennifer noted.
“It’s creating this support group in South Jersey. So, it’s nice,” she said of the relationships created through the Leif Aleutian Foundation.
The Sea Isle fundraiser followed another Leif’s Legacy walk and run that the Larsens held in Alaska on Labor Day weekend for their foundation. They estimated they have raised a total of about $37,000 for their cause of pediatric care in the first three years they have held the events. They estimated that Sunday’s event would bring in close to $3,000 in donations.
Brian Larsen has a bulkhead and marina construction business in Sea Isle. In the summer, he works in Alaska as a commercial fisherman. Jennifer Larsen works in Alaska during the summer as a biologist for the National Park Service.
It was while the Larsens were living in Alaska that Jennifer suffered severe bleeding and prematurely gave birth to Leif on Oct. 11, 2019, after only 26 weeks of pregnancy.
Jennifer was airlifted from Alaska to the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. However, Leif’s lungs were too underdeveloped to breathe on his own and he died two days later in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
Hoping to help other families, the Larsens established the Leif Aleutian Foundation to raise awareness of premature birth, pregnancy loss and infant mortality in the United States.
Proceeds from the fundraisers will benefit Shore Medical Center’s Special Care Nursery in Somers Point and the Dahl Memorial Clinic in Skagway, Alaska. Dahl Memorial Clinic is where the Larsen family receives medical services when Brian and Jennifer work in Alaska during the summer.
Brian Cahill, Shore Medical Center’s marketing director, said the Leif Aleutian Foundation has donated more than $12,000 for the hospital’s Special Care Nursery, which takes care of babies born prematurely or with special needs.
Holly Badali, Shore’s chief nursing officer who oversees the Special Care Nursery, said the money from the foundation has helped the nursery become “the center of choice for pediatric care.” She added that the nursery has consistently garnered high scores for its pediatric care.
“We’re a not-for-profit organization. All of the money we get goes back into the facility for equipment and for the education of our nurses,” Badali explained of the donations from the Leif Aleutian Foundation.
Badali took part in the Leif’s Legacy 5K run on the Promenade. Cahill entertained the crowd by dressing up as Shore Medical Center’s mascot ambassador, Fin the Dolphin.
Smiling broadly, Dan Friel, of Ridley Park, Pa., was one of the people who shook hands with Fin. Friel made the 90-minute drive from his home to Sea Isle to participate in the run.
“The run is for a good cause,” Friel said.
Megan and Walter Rada, of Beesleys Point, brought along their daughters, Ella, 7, and Clara, 6, and 1-year-old son, Wells, to the walk to make it a family affair.
Megan Rada said Brian Larsen is her cousin.
“We want to give our support,” she said.
While noting the sadness of baby Leif’s death, Walter Rada said the event was also “a celebration of life.”
“Family units are coming together and supporting each other,” he said.
In addition to the 50 runners and walkers who signed up for the Leif’s Legacy event on Sunday, about 1,000 donations were made online. Jennifer Larsen said donations may still be made by going to Leif’s Legacy, 5k Run/Walk: NEW JERSEY (runsignup.com)
