It was a tragic death that seemed almost unimaginable, when her 19-year-old son Lucas was killed by a great white shark in October 2010.
"I know that he's in a better place," said Ransom. "And I have a peace about it because I feel him in my heart every day."
Ransom feels her son in each step as well, as she trains for a half-marathon in Santa Barbara this weekend.
She says she's not just going there hoping for a medal, she's hoping to ask other runners for their medals to give to children battling illnesses at Loma Linda Children's Hospital.
She calls them medals of courage, and she does it because her son Lucas himself donated a medal to a sick child just two months before he died.
"He's been the source of my inspiration for all of this," said Ransom. "To be honest, this is not my kind of thing, I don't ask people for help, and it's difficult to ask runners for something they've worked very hard for to give up."
Eleven-year-old Jazmyn Lambert, who's fighting cystic fibrosis, says getting a medal of courage would make all the difference in the world.
"It helps a lot because I won't feel alone or anything," said Jazmyn.
As Ransom gets ready to run, she knows it's a race for the kids, with her son Lucas along for the journey every step of the way.
"I feel like he's still a part of me, and I want to share that with the other people out there," said Ransom.
Medals will also be collected at the Mission Inn Run in Riverside this Sunday.
Other recent half-marathon, marathon and triathlon medals in good condition can be donated. The deadline for donation is Nov. 20. Medals can be sent to:
Loma Linda University
Children's Hospital Foundation
P.O. Box 2000
Loma Linda, CA 92354
Attn: Joanna DeLeon
