With tears rolling down her cheeks, Jenni Patterson watched as her 20-month-old son Bodey ran around the Great Hall with orange marker smeared all over his face.

Jenni laughed and cried at the same time at her son’s antics, which her husband Dave compared to those of a monkey.

“He likes to climb to the top of the couch and jump off onto his belly,” he said.

The couple and their children — Bodey, Dylan, 7, and Danni, 6 — are one of the 40 families who are benefiting from the ISU Dance Marathon. The family began participating in the event after Bodey was born with a nearly fatal heart condition at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.

Bodey was diagnosed with persistent pulmonary hypertension due to stress experienced during delivery.

“He could breathe, but he wasn’t getting any oxygen,” Jenni said. “Plus the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck four times with a knot tied in it.”

The couple was told Bodey would have to be flown to University of Iowa Children’s Hospital in Iowa City to undergo treatment for his rare condition.

Jenni and Dave said they were shocked by the diagnosis because Jenni had nothing but positive prenatal visits to the doctor.

“I was so scared,” Jenni said. “We were told we should baptize him before the flight, just in case.”

At the hospital, Bodey underwent experimental treatment which had not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Nitric oxide was puffed into his lungs along with oxygen. The couple said they thank God it worked, making Bodey a healthy, “ornery” toddler.

Dave said the experience was the most difficult time of his life and hard on the rest of the family.

“We got to hold him for about 10 minutes when he was first born. For three weeks after that, we did not get to touch him or hold him,” he said. “I didn’t see the other kids for two weeks.”

The couple said their outlook on life has changed since almost losing their son.

“The little things aren’t as important at all,” Jenni said. “We are lucky to have three healthy kids.”

Dave also said the family has been extremely fortunate.

“We are luckier than some of the others here right now,” he said.

Despite the difficulties, the Pattersons said the experience was good for them, and they would not take it back.

“God had a reason to do it, make him sick,” Jenni said. “[God] has a great plan for him. Who knows, maybe it is to help out the other kids here who are sick.”

Dave said this type of thing either strengthens a family or kills it.

“It was definitely a character builder. We still think about it a little bit, but it is in the back of our minds until we come to these things,” Dave said. “But the kids love it here.”

Even though the marathon sometimes brings back bad memories for the two, Dave said he still likes to come and show his support.

“They are so good with the kids. We can let them go play and not have to worry about them,” he said. “It’s kind of like having a 15-hour baby sitter.”