Introducing Justin 2018 Walk Ambassador for Choc Walk in the Park
Introducing Justin 2018 Walk Ambassador for Choc Walk in the Park
"CHOC reminds us to appreciate and celebrate the most important things in life."
Justin 2018 CHOC Walk Ambassador
CHOC Walk in the Park presented by the Disneyland® Resort brings people together from every walk of life in the local community for one single (and imperative) goal, to raise funds for health care programs, education and research for Southern California’s most precious resource, our kids. Inspiring and emotional nourishing, I highly recommend registering for this one of a kind event at Disneyland that celebrates children and the talented people who care for them. Walk along these heroes and many of your favorite Disney® characters as so many have over the past 28 years and make this years CHOC Walk in the Park another success!
Meet Justin! 2018 CHOC Walk Ambassador
Justin with his family at the CHOC Walk reception at Disneyland Hotel
Justin’s entrance into this world 11 years ago was exciting for his family but scary, beautiful but heartbreaking. Born with a very rare neurological condition called lissencephaly, which causes his brain’s surface to be smooth and leads to significant developmental delays. Unfortunately, Justin’s diagnosis was at the most severe end of the spectrum. Like all children with lissencephaly, Justin is severely neurologically impaired, experiencing several seizures a day and is fed through a feeding tube. Though most children with his condition do not survive their first year of life, Justin has defied the odds. With the love of his family and friends and the support of the excellent medical team at CHOC, Justin continues to fight. To give him the specialized care he needed, Justin was immediately transferred from our local hospital to CHOC Children's, where he remained in the neonatal intensive care unit for four months.
Justin's chronic condition has made him a frequent visitor at CHOC. He receives care from doctors in six specialties- neurology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, metabolic, urology, and orthopedic and with their medical expertise help keep him healthy, safe and comfortable. For the first few years, Justin required long hospital stays two or three times a year to treat his seizures and pneumonia. The staff at CHOC worked around the clock to keep Justin stable helping him recover so he could come home. CHOC provides a warm, inviting, family-centered environment, making it a home away from home for Justin's family. With the care he has received at CHOC, Justin’s condition has stabilized and has only required outpatient treatment.
Choc Walk 2018 Ambassador Justin and a few of my fellow colleagues supoporting the event
I had the privilege to meet Justin's family recently at the 2018 CHOC Walk Reception held at the Disneyland Hotel. The love this family has for each other was beyond palatable. It's this level of love and support that always puts life into perspective and reminds us all that there is always someone somewhere fighting something, and that there is always hope! Justin is the middle child of 3 in his family with an older sister and a younger brother. Having a child of my own with special needs allows me to relate with this family though our struggles are nothing compared to what this family has endured. I applaud Justin's family for the amazing strength they demonstrate, these are the makings of some extraordinary people.
Why we walk
We walk for the love of Disneyland. We walk so my daughter understands differences, is accepting and learns to be compassionate as she too is different. We walk out of gratitude for our good health. We walk in support, even though we have never needed emergency care at CHOC we are grateful there is a place for families in need to go. I walk because it is humbling, uplifting while grounding and above all else inspiring, reminding me to count my blessings each and every day! Do you walk, if so why? And if not, won't you join me?
Registration is easy! CHOC Walk Participants can create teams or join a team, earn prizes, and raise funds for CHOC. We encourage Walkers to fundraise for their participation or they can make a personal donation. Special discounted Disneyland tickets are also a perk for walking (your CHOC Walk In the Park wristband gives you the opportunity to purchase a Disneyland® Resort 1-Day Park Hopper® ticket or a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket, Terms and conditions coming soon) Register now to create your own Personal and/or Team Fundraising Page. Find all you need to know HERE
Event Day Details
- Sunday, August 26, 2018
- Opening ceremony Main Street U.S.A. - 6:15 am
- Entrance cutoff time to be announced.
- 5K walk through Disneyland® Park, Disney California Adventure® Park and Downtown Disney® District.
- $85 per person (preregistration required) until Monday, August 13, 2018 $95 after that
- Walkers ages 2 and under FREE
- CHOC Walk information booth will open at 5:00 a.m. in the Disney® Esplanade
- FREE Parking at the Disneyland® Resort for all CHOC Walk participants
