Running together

Deepa Bharath

Sue Rudolph has been a runner all her life.

But now, this 51-year-old Costa Mesa resident, a 12-year member of

the local Orange County Track Club, is running a different kind of

race -- against time.

In July, Rudolph was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. She

had to get on the list for a liver transplant. Doctors could not tell

her when she would get an organ or how soon she could go downhill.

“It came as a total shock to me,” she said. “I was never much of a

drinker.”

Rudolph was a nonsmoker and ate healthfully. She couldn’t figure

out how and why. And just when she was grappling with these painful

questions, other members of the track club came to her rescue.

At first, Rudolph said, she did not want to tell anyone.

“I’m a private person,” she said. “I only told a couple people

first. But they urged me to tell others right away.”

She did, and the results were overwhelming. Everyone rallied

around her.

Soon, people were offering to take her to doctor’s appointments,

clean around the house or shop for groceries.

“We runners are a tightly-knit group,” Veronica Burkhalter said.

“We’re concerned even when others have a knee injury. This came to us

as too much of a shock, and this is the least we can do for Sue.”

Club members have started a series of fundraisers to help out

Rudolph. They made about $150 from their first one at Newport Rib

Company on Feb. 2, Burkhalter said. They plan to have a similar event

on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. at MD’s Sports Bar at the Los Caballeros Sports

Club in Fountain Valley. The bar will offer a $10 pasta dinner, with

15% of the checks benefiting Rudolph.

Members will also hold a rummage sale at the Orange Coast College

Swap Meet on April 17, member Bob Sullivan said.

“We’ll probably rummage through our homes and garages and donate

items which will go on sale,” he said.

Rudolph’s situation has touched not only members of the local

club, but those of A Snail’s Pace, a club in Fountain Valley, said

Jamie Bolduc, who edits the Orange County Track Club’s newsletter.

“Sue is a friendly, humble and shy person,” she said. “She is a

dedicated member. It was the most natural thing for everyone to do.”

Rudolph said she has been touched by the acts of kindness.

“I’m relieved I told my friends because now I have this amazing

support system,” she said. “This is obviously hard for me. But it’s

great that they let me know they’re there for me.”