Introducing GG Runs
Meet George & Gladis
Gladis was born in Beirut, Lebanon and came to America in 1998 to get married. One year later Gladis gave birth to her first son George who happened to be born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. That was when George's parents found out their son has Cerebral Palsy. All throughout George's life his parents would regularly have to take him to different hospitals all over Boston. After 1 year George wasn't able to sit, crawl or relay any type of speech. That's when Neurologists diagnosed George with developmental delay. When he was about 2 years old doctors diagnosed George with autism when they found out he didn't like loud noises or to be touched, and would gag on certain food cause he could not chew. When George was 7 years old he had a big seizure in school and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Ever since he has had to take seizure medicine twice a day. A few years later doctors noticed George had high toned muscles. To help relax the muscles he had a surgery where doctors inserted a baclofen pump which regularly delivers medication to his spine. About 10 years ago Gladis was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance after a major car accident and she was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. The constant head and neck pain she suffered during her recovery left her barely able to cope with the pressures of managing her daily routine and raising a special needs child. Gladis turned to running to get out of her funk and get her life back on track, but the first few weeks were a struggle. This is the point where those of us with less willpower would throw in the towel, but she was dedicated to her son and determined to succeed. Over 5 years ago the family made a major decision, the New England winters gave Gladis migraine headaches and made Georgie's spasms worse, so they packed up they're things and moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina. Once she had settled, Gladis started competing in 5K, 10K and half-marathon races. During a Christmas 5K race, she noticed another competitor running with a child in a push-chair. Gladis asked the runner about competing with her son, and that is how she was introduced to the Ainsley's Angels. Gladis was not sure how Georgie would react to competing in public, but the experience completely changed his life. Being cheered on by a supportive and enthusiastic crowd gave Georgie a new lease on life, and he has become much more talkative and gregarious as a result. The duo competed in 5K, 8K, 10K and half marathons so far, and they hope to complete a full marathon soon. Inspirational athletes like Gladis and Georgie do more than motivate people to do better. They tell us life is worth living and beyond that worth appreciating. No matter what twists or turns our journeys take, they remind us how trivial so many of our worries really are. The crowds who cheer Gladis and Georgie as they run by are not just applauding determination and effort, they are recognizing and honoring the love and pride a mother has for her very special child.
"Nothing is impossible"
— GG Runs
