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DeAnn Runge: in loving memory
Hello, forums community. There’s no easy way to share this news, but it is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend and moderator extraordinaire, DeAnn Runge. I spoke with DeAnn’s mother earlier today. We’ll update this page when her obituary is posted, but her mother gave us permission to share it with you all.
We are profoundly shocked and saddened, and we will honor DeAnn’s life and impact more as we process our grief. For now, here are a few words of reflection.
From Kevin: I first encountered DeAnn in 2018 through the forums and her personal YouTube channel. We were in the early days of Bionews, the parent company of SMA News Today, and we were looking for new voices to help grow our organization and reach our communities. Immediately, DeAnn captured our attention with her wit and dynamic storytelling capabilities. She became one of our first multimedia creators, and she played a vital role in making the forum community what it is today. Recently, she became a member of our company’s newly established patient advisory board.
Yet, DeAnn was so much more than just her accomplishments. Her relentless compassion and humor came across in every video call and Slack message. She was always there to brighten someone’s day and provide a listening ear. Me, her, and Alyssa particularly enjoyed sharing stories of caregivers and insurance hassles.
This community won’t be the same without her, but her impact will last forever. Rest easy, friend.
From Alyssa: I had the pleasure of meeting DeAnn when I became a moderator here in 2019. Though I had seen her videos on YouTube, I didn’t know too much about the person behind the screen. I can honestly tell you she was just as delightful as she was in her videos. DeAnn was such a force in our community. She was a great advocate, friend to many, and asset here at Bionews. I have always admired her work greatly. And as I’m sure everyone here will attest to, she was beloved by many for her kindness, compassion, and insight.
Right now, I’m in a bit of shock over the news. It doesn’t feel right talking about her in the past tense. After working so closely with her for over five years, it’s going to be tough to wrap my head around this one. But I’m holding you all close during this time. Please feel free to message me if you want to talk about this more privately. Just as DeAnn was unconditionally here for all of us, I will be here for you. But like Kevin said, our community won’t be the same without her.
Please share your memories of DeAnn here, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need to talk.
See the full archive of DeAnn’s videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtRCVbeiSodnTNonRZjqAunFtBXiFxVPi
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3 Replies
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I believe I first met DeAnn during the CureSMA virtual conference in 2020. I had never traveled to a conference before, and was already in my mid-60s and worried that I’d have little in common with the young adults in the breakout room. Guess what, my fears were completely unfounded. Even with my gray hair, I was included in the animated chat discussions. DeAnn was poised and welcoming to everyone. To be blunt, I was jealous of the ease she had in her conversations. I immediately sought out her YouTube channel, even though I didn’t subscribe right away.
Meeting virtually with other accomplished adults during the pandemic was life-changing for me. I tried to attend every Zoom event offered -game nights, and chats with SMA people from all corners of the world. Even with all those encounters, DeAnn still stood out.
Just recently she joined a small MD virtual support group (begun during the pandemic by 2 women in TX). She opened up about her life challenges and listened to our/my struggles and successes, too. Friendships blossomed. All too quickly she caught “the crud” as she called it, and missed several Saturday chat group meetings. Now we understand why she couldn’t reply to our repeated messages of concern.
Thank you for providing a safe space here to share our thoughts. I will truly miss DeAnn’s friendship and my heart breaks for all the lost opportunities for her to and the others who she likely would’ve befriended. RIP my dear, sweet friend. My heartfelt condolences and prayers to all who knew her.
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@robin-c I love this. Thanks so much for sharing.
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Thank you for sharing that beautiful tribute, Robin.
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