When Ashley Ihry of Fargo, North Dakota, decided to raise awareness for neurofibromatosis, she started by dusting off her running shoes.

“I ran the Fargo Mini Marathon in October,” Ihry said. “I ran in the 10K when I hadn’t ran even a 5K for 12 years.”

Ihry’s initial fundraising goal was $800, but each time she met her goal, she immediately increased it. In total, she raised $1,550.

“It just brings me lots of joy for how much I raised,” Ihry said. “I really do hope one day they can find a cure. I pray every day about it.”

She also met her time goal.

“I had such a good run,” she said. “I made my goal of under an hour and got a 58:16.”

Her mom and stepdad supported Ihry from the sidelines by wearing their Run4NF t-shirts.

“Neither of my parents have the gene, so I’m the first one in the family to get NF,” Ihry said.

During her training, she got a “Run4NF” tattoo to continue spreading awareness after the race.

Ihry earned a free Run4NF singlet by raising $250 and received a reimbursement for her registration fee after raising $750.

To learn more about Run4NF, click here.