Runner fueled by Angel

Steve Virgen

On June 27, 2001, Doug and Jen Hansen received a gift from above and

aptly named her Angel.

Today, when they look into her eyes, or hear the gentle giggles,

or see her beautiful smile, they realize the name was perfect. Now, 2

years old, Angel continues to provide meaning to her family and she

has also supplied the Hansens with the strength to help others.

Angel was born three weeks premature with a brain one-quarter the

normal size. Some doctors said she would not live. But she made it,

came into this world, weighing five pounds, eight ounces with

dislocated hips, a missing kidney and a weak digestive tract. Her

legs were misshapen and she had deformed fingers and toes.

“You look at her and you think she’s a normal child,” Doug said.

“When people find out, they say, ‘Wow!’ To them, it’s shocking that

we play it off as if nothing is wrong. We do treat her like nothing

is wrong. We’re not in denial. We just think nothing is wrong.”

Doug and Jen Hansen, who live in Costa Mesa, have tried to make

the best of what others have told them is an unfortunate situation.

In their view, they are content with the world, and especially with

Angel.

Doug definitely sees that joy when he runs, while pushing his

daughter in a jogger, a stroller made so runners can bring their

children along for the ride. The father, who is an assistant to cross

country and track and field coach Bill Sumner at Corona del Mar High,

will also run for Angel to help raise funds for children born with

similar problems.

Hansen plans to run, walk or jog for 24 hours at the Corona del

Mar High track. He is also welcoming others to join him throughout

the day for Angel’s Run on April 3, starting at 8 a.m. He has set up

a website, www.angelsrun.com, and has also been training.

The lives of Doug and Jen have changed ever since Angel became a

part of them, which basically happened when Jen was five months

pregnant. She went to the hospital for a routine ultrasound and her

doctor realized the Hansens’ baby girl had several deformities.

Jen picked out the name Angel and relied upon her faith in God to

decide the future. When Angel came into her parents’ lives, Doug and

Jen were joyous and became even more ecstatic eight days later, when

Angel defied the odds and was released from the hospital.

The Hansens battled the emotions early on when Angel went through

various surgeries. These days, they take pleasure when she smiles.

“In the beginning, in the first couple of months, there was no

emotion; I had to be with doctors constantly,” Jen said. “I went back

to work. I kept busy. There were days that I wished she was normal or

that it was a little bit easier, but I wouldn’t take anything back.

She’s the best thing.”

The Costa Mesa couple said Angel seems to recognize their voices

and she smiles upon hearing them. Angel is also happy when she is

with her father when he is running.

The Hansens have started Angel’s Charity, a nonprofit program that

helps children with special needs. They become giddy when they think

how much growth their charity can experience in the years to come.

They started it last year and have been working toward the goal of

helping others.

Doug also chips in with his running. He has always wanted to run

with his children. And, when Angel was six months, he began to take

her out on runs. This past October, Doug, while pushing Angel in the

jogger, completed the Long Beach Marathon. In November, he took her

out to Dana Point for the Turkey Trot, a 5,000-meter run.

“It was great,” said Doug, who graduated from Costa Mesa High in

1985. “I thought [the Long Beach Marathon] would be more emotional.

But I was just tired. I did the Turkey Trot and that was more

emotional. I was just exhausted [at Long Beach]. It’s unfortunate

that she can’t go on more marathons [not all marathons allow

joggers]. But I want to get her out as much as I can.”

Doug will run with Angel in the Pacific Shoreline Marathon in

Huntington Beach Feb. 1.

“She’s wonderful,” Doug said. “I would have run with her sooner,

but I was afraid she was too small. We waited for six months. I

always wanted to do that with any kids of mine. We go on the

weekends. I take her out. Jen and I will go out and run. I think

[Angel] likes it. She looks around and she’s having fun.”

Angel’s deformities are not hereditary, Doug said, and the couple

is planning to have more children.