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GBS/CIDP 5K & Miracle Mile
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| Event co-organizers Kristin Prentiss, left, and Hannah Blanton. |
Always willing to lace up for a good cause, Charlotte-area runners and walkers – nearly 350 to be exact – gathered at the starting line the morning of Saturday, May 12, to support the GBS-CIDP 5K & Miracle Mile. The event, held in SouthPark, aimed to raise awareness for Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The $31,000 raised will go to GBS/CIDP research and advocacy.
Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. It is characterized by the rapid onset of weakness and, often, paralysis of the legs, arms, breathing muscles and face. GBS is the most common cause of rapidly acquired paralysis in the nation today, affecting one to two people in every 100,000.
Race co-organizers Kristin Prentiss and Hannah Blanton were brought together by GBS in 2003. Prentiss’ son Paul was diagnosed with GBS when he was only 5 months old. And the syndrome struck Blanton on Mother’s Day in 2003. During a walk with her children, she noticed numbness in her feet. Over the following week, the numbness/weakness progressed up her body and paralysis set in from her chest down. After more than two months in the hospital – including physical, occupational and speech therapy – Blanton relearned how to sit, stand and walk again. Since battling and recovering from GBS, the south Charlotte moms have formed the Charlotte GBS/CIDP Support Group.
Charlotte Weekly was a proud sponsor of this first annual race. For more information, visit www.gbsfi.com.
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