INDIANAPOLIS — This year's OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon is Saturday, May 4, with thousands set to participate. One of those participants is a woman running in her nephew's honor.
Mary Hendricks runs in Speedway before the month of May takes hold of her hometown.
"It brings such a fun energy to the town. Otherwise, it's a pretty quiet, chill town. Then, May comes, and everything is just crazy,” Hendricks said.
However, her quiet morning runs calm her loud thoughts.
"Grief can consume you, or you can try and find something, a light in that darkness,” Hendricks said.
Hendricks runs the Indy Mini to cope after the loss of her nephew, Rush.
"That was the one thing that helped motivate me, to keep pushing, to really have something to work towards,” Hendricks said.
Rush had acute respiratory failure, a condition where the body isn't getting enough oxygen or has too much carbon dioxide.
"My sister had taken him to the doctor multiple times, and they were told it would just get better,” Hendricks said.
He was just 7 months old when he passed, days before Christmas, in 2022.
"He was the happiest little hambone in the world. He really was such a happy baby,” Hendricks said.
Her sister and brother-in-law launched Rush's Rainbows.
"Rush's Rainbows is all our light in the darkness,” Hendricks said.
The nonprofit provides custom care packages, artwork and resources for families across the country who have lost a loved one.
"It's hard to not be able to see him, but it's nice to be able to talk about him,” Hendricks said.
She carries a necklace holding a small urn through every step.
"He might not be able to finish or run in general, but we can carry with him in everything we do,” Hendricks said. “Being able to help the world see his face just a little bit because he should be here, and he should be able to create his own legacy, but he can’t. So, we are all trying to do that for him in whatever way we can.”
They’re honoring Rush, sharing their nonprofit and providing a safe space to let families know they’re not alone.
"Find whatever gives you that light and hold onto it and run with it, as cheesy as that sounds,” Hendricks said.