Mar 10, 2026
Running for Logan
Samantha Slack’s son, Logan, has X-linked Juvenile Retinoschisis (XLRS). She shares her story of why she runs for hope, a brighter future, and most of all, her son.
It started with a simple question from my son.
After learning about Terry Fox at school, Logan asked, “Why don’t you do what Terry did?”
At the time, I was training for my first full marathon. I had planned to run it as a personal challenge — something to push myself after a difficult few years. But Logan’s question changed everything.
Suddenly the race meant more.
Our youngest son Logan is seven years old and full of life. He loves hockey, biking, fishing, paddleboarding, exploring outdoors, and making people laugh. Sitting still has never been his strong suit — he’s always moving, always curious, always full of energy.
In 2024, during a routine eye exam, we were told Logan likely had X-linked Juvenile Retinoschisis (XLRS), a rare genetic condition that affects the retina and can lead to progressive vision loss. After further testing at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, the diagnosis was confirmed.
Hearing those words as a parent is something you can never fully prepare for.
XLRS wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to our family — my older brother lives with the same condition — but knowing your child will face those challenges is different.
The hardest moment came when Logan was told he should stop playing contact sports because of the risk to his eyes. When we left that appointment, he quietly said to me, “But hockey is contact.”
In that moment, my heart broke.
Logan plays goalie, which has less contact, and as a family we made a decision: we will not live our lives in fear. Instead, we will learn, adapt, and support him so he can continue to live a full and active life.
When Logan was diagnosed, I started searching everywhere for information. That search led me to Fighting Blindness Canada, where I learned about research underway to better understand and treat inherited retinal diseases like XLRS.
Research means hope — hope that one day children like Logan may have more treatment options and brighter futures.
Around that same time, Logan’s Terry Fox question kept coming back to me. At first I hesitated. Asking people for donations felt uncomfortable, especially in a small community where everyone is already supporting so many causes.
But Logan believed in the idea.
So together we decided that my marathon would be more than just a race. It would be for Logan — and for research that could help kids like him.
What began as a personal challenge became something much bigger. Training runs suddenly had purpose. Watching donations come in filled Logan with pride. It became something we were doing together.
In October 2025, I ran the full 42.2 km at the Royal Victoria Marathon.
Every step was for Logan — and for the hope that research will one day create a brighter future for him and for others living with vision loss.
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