2024 Joey's Wings 5K & Kids Obstacle Run

Elizabeth was diagnosed with B-Cell ALL in August, 2023. She was two years old. She had been battling an ear infection for two weeks and seemed more tired than usual, taking longer naps, but was still herself. She came home from pre-school on a Friday afternoon with a cut on her thumb that within a few hours was swollen and had streaking going up her hand and she developed a fever. Elizabeth's parents took her to the after hours pediatrics and received another round of antibiotics and went home. A few hours later Elizabeth was more pale, still had a fever and the streaking continued up her arm. She was taken immediately to Shands ER and had bloodwork done. When lab results came back, her parents were told that she most likely had a blood cancer and the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology team would be coming to see the family. Elizabeth's parents were in disbelief, and didn't know a lot about blood cancers or what that meant for treatment and the rest of her life. Within hours of walking into the ER that early morning, they were upstairs on unit 42 which would be our home away from home for three weeks. Elizabeth received multiple transfusions that weekend, and within two days of being diagnosed, she started treatment. In order to get to go home, the wound on her thumb needed to heal, she had to be able to take the antibiotics orally and her counts needed to come up. And finally, that's what happened. She had improved and the family was thankful to be back home.

At the end of the first phase of treatment Elizabeth's bone marrow biopsy was MRD positive and her treatment plan changed. It was more intense and more frequent. The more intense treatment definitely took a toll on her but she bounced back, still happy and always wanting to play. At the beginning of December she started a new treatment phase. Elizabeth had another bone marrow biopsy in mid December and it was finally MRD negative! Elizabeth turned three years old in January and she continued out patient treatment, with a few in patient admissions.

From coming around the curve and seeing the Shands parking garage (trying to guess which color will have a parking spot) to riding on the elevator, Elizabeth has always enjoyed going to the hospital. As soon as she sits in the chair, she asks for her Play Doh and the day just got better. Play Doh has been something that she has loved from before being diagnosed, it's the one thing that she can concentrate on and have fun and just be a kid. Depending on the infusion or transfusion, lots of time is spent crating Plah Doh pizza and dinosaurs. She helps the nurses with her buddy (her port) and makes sure they know what she's making with her Play Doh too. She acts like nothing is wrong and everyone is amazed that this tiny girl is so strong.

Elizabeth continues to be happy and smile every day. Elizabeth is almost to the maintenance phase of her treatment, we are looking forward to less days in the clinic chair for her and more days running back and forth in the backyard. December 5, 2025 will be the day Elizabeth will have her last chemotherapy.

7:30 AM Onsite registration and Packet Pickup

8:30 AM 5K/Walk begins

8:40 AM 1 mile Kids Obstacle Run

10 AM Awards

Direction

If you google the "Charles R. Perry Construction Institute", it will lead you directly to the course and parking.

Race shirt and a 3D medal is free! Come and get a special designed 3D origami crane medal with gator color ribbon!

We have an improved obstacle course for 2023! Competitive and fun! Hurdles, parachute, agility ladder, noodles...Each obstacle course represents the obstacle that children with cancer have to overcome during treatment: chemo, radiation, pills, testing... our improved kids obstacle challenge this year is fun and competitive! Children of any age are welcomed to participate! Our volunteers will also watch and help along the way.

There are four age groups, 6 – 11, 12 – 18, 19 - 49, and 50+, each category placing top 3 males and females. Results are chip-timed and will be published immediately after the run. We will have an awards ceremony for the top 3 finishers in each age group at 10am.

Want to get more involved and help fundraise for Joey's Wings? Create a team, recruit runners to sign up for your team and ask friends, family, and businesses for donations! There will be two awards for fundraising teams: one for the team with the most runners and one for the team that raises the most money. Click the team tab (on the left) to get started!