Event Description

Little Heroes 5K and Fun Run

Little Heroes 5K Race. 

Is a benefit race to help cover medical expense costs for Paisley Bumgarner and Eli Lail. 

Meet Eli!
Eli is the son of Jackie and Stephenie Lail. Jackie works to serve his community as a  Captain with the City of Newton Fire Department. Jackie also works part time at Keens Towing. Stephenie is a stay at home mom where she homeschools her three kids- Eli, Raelyn, and Haylee. 
Eli was born in 2004 and diagnosed with hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy to the right side of his body. In addition, three years ago, Eli was diagnosed with epilepsy. At birth, Eli had a VP shunt placed to help drain the fluid off of his brain. As a small child, he underwent multiple treatments to aid in flexibility of his right leg followed  by three surgeries with extensive recovery times on his right leg and foot. Recently, Eli underwent emergency surgery to replace his VP shunt. 
From birth, Eli has been enrolled in some form of physical therapy. For the past 4 years, the Bradley Long Foundation has sponsored weekly Equestrian Therapy lessons. 
In addition to weekly therapies, Eli is seen by multiple specialists at Duke, Wake Forest, and Greenville Medical Centers.

Eli is a very special guy with a huge heart. Eli is always wanting to help and serve others. Chances are, if you see Eli he will have a big smile on his face. 

"We're are very thankful God gave Eli to us- he may not know it- but he's taught us alot. We are most thankful for the many ways we've seen God work through our journey and we know God has a special plan for Eli's Life!"-Stephenie Lail 

Please consider running for Eli ❤

Meet Paisley Grace-
Paisley is the daughter of Nicholas and Kaitlyn Bumgarner. Nicholas and Kaitlyn have been married since 2015 and have one fur baby, Macy. Nicholas and Kaitlyn both work diligently to serve their communities. Nicholas serves as a Fireman for Gastonia Fire Department and Kaitlyn works as a CT Tech. 
Paisley Grace is now 2 years old and has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, Gould Syndrome. In fact, there are less than 200 people in the world diagnosed with this disease. Gould Syndrome is a systemic disease that affects the entire body. Specifically, it is a collagen defect that causes thinning of the blood vessels and prevents organs from forming correctly. This disease primarily affects the brain, eyes, and kidneys. 
Paisley has a long list of other diagnoses that have stemmed from her genetic disease. Paisley has been diagnosed with epilepsy, microcephaly, blindness, and cerebral palsy. Due to these diagnoses, Paisley is non-mobile and non-verbal. However, don't let that fool you, Paisley is full of personality and loves to show it off daily!  Recently, Paisley had surgery to put a feeding tube into her stomach because eating had become unsafe for her. 
Paisley keeps  Nicholas and Kaitlyn busy with a rotation of 10 specialists, 6 weekly therapy sessions, unexpected hospitalizations, and other daily needs of a complex peal needs child. 

Please consider running for Paisley. ❤️

Catawba Meadows Park
701 Sanford Dr.
Morganton, NC  28655

Awards:

Overall Male and Overall Female 

Age Groups:
12 and Under - 1 Male and 1 Female award
13 to 19 - 1 Male and 1 Female award
20 to 29 -  1 Male and 1 Female award
30 to 39 -  1 Male and 1 Female award
40 to 49 -  1 Male and 1 Female award
50 to 59 -  1 Male and 1 Female award
60+ - 1 Male and 1 Female award