2026 Recipients

Grayson Weaks

Grayson Weaks is a very strong and determined thirteen-year-old boy. He currently attends Discovery Middle School. He has an older brother named Christian, who is a junior at Canton High School. Grayson loves to play and watch football, especially his favorite team, the Detroit Lions. He also enjoys fishing and 3D printing. Grayson’s family loves to play games together, go to amusement parks to ride rollercoasters, and travel. They try to travel to a new place every year. Some of their favorite trips are Canada, Disney, and Hershey National Park. Before his diagnosis, Grayson played football for the Canton Lions football team.

Leading up to Christmas of 2024, when Grayson was twelve years old, he started to struggle with inattentiveness. The family, in collusion with doctors, thought it was Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Shortly after taking ADD medication, he started having headaches that kept worsening. On Christmas Day, he got sick and threw up. Grayson had recovered from what the family thought was a stomach bug, but the sickness returned on January 24th, 2025. When Grayson's mom, Jen, picked him up from his dad’s house for school, he threw up again. His speech was not making sense, so his mom took him to urgent care. They realized he was unable to read, and his pupils were dilated. He was rushed to Mott Children’s Hospital, where the doctors performed a CT scan that found a mass in his brain, causing a block in fluid drainage. The tumor was roughly the size of an orange, and the doctors believe it had grown in about six months. Fluid was drained from his brain at the hospital, which helped him express his thoughts more clearly. Grayson underwent surgery to remove the tumor on January 28th, 2025. After surgery, Grayson was diagnosed with Posterior Fossa Ependymoma Syndrome, which was related to his inability to walk and talk after surgery. Following the surgery, Grayson went through 33 rounds of radiation therapy (five days each week) to get rid of a finger-nail-sized piece of the tumor that the doctors were unable to remove. He was at the hospital for about a month, undergoing physical, speech, and occupational therapy. While Grayson and his parents spent the majority of their time in the hospital, Christian took on a lot of responsibility at home. He took care of the dogs, cleaned the house, and really stepped up. Grayson and Christian’s mom said, “Christian has grown and matured a lot and has become an even better big brother.” During Grayson’s four months in the hospital, his mom took time off from her two jobs to be there for her son. The hardest part for the family was seeing him fresh out of surgery. Nothing had prepared them for how hard it would be. In April of 2025, Grayson was still going through radiation therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, but he started returning to school two hours each day and increased that amount gradually. By the end of the school year, Grayson was going to school for the full day. He goes every 3 months for an MRI, and if he goes two years with no evidence of cancer, they can move the MRI to every 6 months. Even though at times he may feel discouraged, Grayson keeps hope of being cleared to start playing football again for the Canton Lions.

Grayson’s mom says that it’s good to surround yourself with not only people who love you but also with people who truly understand what you've gone through. Sympathy is always appreciated, but empathy helps you feel less alone. The SJ5K can help provide an even stronger community to support Grayson's recovery. Together, we can help the Weaks family keep their Hearts in Motion with PERSEVERANCE.

Matthew Juarez

Matthew Juarez is a bright and curious seven-year-old who is loved by everyone who meets him. He attends Farrand Elementary and is a little brother to Nicholas, who is a freshman at Canton Preparatory School. The two share a close bond built on laughter and video games. Matthew loves playing Nintendo World Championship, and he is a huge fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, Spider-Man, and animated movies like K-Pop Demon Hunters. He also has a one year old step-brother Max that he loves very much. He enjoys going out for his favorite foods, like McDonald’s and Jersey Mike’s, being outside with his mom, Lana, and spending time with his dog, Nina.

In September and October of 2025, Matthew became sick at school twice. Just three weeks before Thanksgiving, a visit to St. Joe’s Hospital showed everything was fine with blood work and a scan. The day after Thanksgiving, Lana received a video that changed everything. While he was at his dad’s, Matthew was unable to follow a finger with his eyes and had been complaining of headaches. He was taken to the PICU at C.S, Mott Children’s Hospital that Friday, where doctors discovered a brain tumor called medulloblastoma. On Sunday, November 30, 2025, Matthew underwent a 14-hour craniotomy surgery to remove the tumor. The tumor was not encapsulated, making it difficult to remove, but surgeons were able to remove nearly all of it. Against all fears, Matthew came out of surgery smiling and acting like himself. On December 9th, Matthew had a shunt procedure. The Juarezes are very thankful for Matthew’s doctor, Dr. Neena Marupudi. She is the head of the pediatric neurosurgery department, who saved his life. Matthew now receives chemotherapy infusions once a week for six weeks, and has radiation Monday through Friday, bravely lying still and listening to music during treatments. Matthew is currently unable to attend school in person, but he is continuing his learning with a home-bound teacher. On December 18th, Matthew had a spinal tap, which is a medical procedure where a thin needle is inserted into the lower back to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic testing to determine if the cancer returned. The fluid from the spinal tap showed no signs of cancer. His medical team continues to speak about him with confidence, praising his strength and resilience every step of the way. His mom says that “his attitude is what keeps me strong.”

The SJ5K offers critical support to Matthew and his family during this overwhelming time. Community and financial contributions help cover the costs of ongoing treatments, frequent travel to specialized care facilities, and time away from work so that his mom, Lana, can focus on Matthew’s needs. Support from classmates, teachers, hospital staff, and neighbors reminds the Juarez family that they are not alone. Matthew’s grandfather, William Goodman, has been a huge help in many ways, especially in transporting him to treatment. Additionally, Max and Teresa Juarez, on his dad’s side, have also helped with care. Matthew’s courage has inspired everyone around him, and through the SJ5K, the community comes together to lift him up, stand beside his family, and help carry them forward. Together, we can help the Juarez family keep their Hearts in Motion with COURAGE.

Mila Kalach

Mila Kalach is a resilient five-month-old who was born on August 4th, 2025. Mila is the youngest of four siblings; Ahmad is 11 and attends East Middle School, Mary is 8 and attends Miller Elementary School, and Ali is 18 months old. The Kalachs love to travel and stargaze. Mila’s middle name is Antares, related to “the heart” in the constellations, and her parents shared that the moon met the Antares star on the day she was born. As a family, they enjoy spending time together watching Disney movies such as Descendants, Zombies, and Star Wars, playing Roblox, visiting the library, and going to Summit on the Park.

During an ultrasound in June of 2025, the Kalach family learned that Mila would have heterotaxy and a congenital heart disease. Heterotaxy syndrome is a complex condition in which internal organs are abnormally arranged or missing. Her congenital heart disease affected her heart formation and blood flow throughout the body. Although their other daughter, Mary, has a similar condition, Mila’s parents were originally told that it was a 1 in 100,000 chance Mila would have the condition. Mila was admitted to the NICU at Mott Children’s Hospital at birth. Mila was born with her heart on the right side of her body with structural deformations. At one week old, Mila had her first open-heart surgery for an PA band on top of the pulmonary artery. The surgery was unsuccessful as it caused the valve under the band to become unsynchronized with the rest of the heart. This caused frequent flutters in Mila, which are similar to heart attacks. Three days later, another surgery was performed to stop them. The procedure performed was a shunt procedure, which helps get oxygenated blood to the rest of her body. This is only short-term, however, as it does not grow with the rest of the heart. Mila was finally able to come home for the first time in October 2025. In January of 2026, Mila underwent another heart surgery. This surgery couldn’t wait because Mila had outgrown her shunt. If this surgery is not successful, she will likely need a heart transplant. Although Mila has some cognitive delays in development, her father knows she is just going to be “a late bloomer”. The family has been significantly impacted by these events. Her father, who works at Delta, is the family’s only provider, but he has had to take time off due to the care Mila needs. Mila’s mother is her full-time caregiver. Her siblings are doing their best to be strong, but Mary has been experiencing PTSD regarding her own experience with a heart condition.

The SJ5K can help Mila and her family have support for the medical procedures and continue to live and care for each other. Above all, the Kalach family wants to share their message of hope and resilience. They know that their story is not one of desperation but one of gaining strength and staying positive through their situation. Together, we can help the Kalach family keep their Hearts in Motion by SHINING LIKE ANTARES.

Paisley Long

Paisley Long is one of the strongest seven-year-olds you may ever meet. Paisley attends Isbister Elementary, inspiring her teachers and classmates every day. As an older sister to her brothers, Ryker, who is 4, and Jet, who is 1, she has shown them what it means to be a warrior. With her devoted parents, Tiffany and Ryan, the Long family enjoys many family activities. They love to do puzzles, go on walks, learn about rescue vehicles, watch Cars and Paw Patrol, and spend time together. Paisley and her family are extreme advocates for heart disease awareness. They partner with the Northville Township Fire Department to host a toy drive in honor of Paisley, as well as the Detroit Congenital Heart Walk, with all proceeds going to research. With just one glimpse into this beautiful family, you can see how much love they have for each other.

For Paisley, much of her life has been spent in and out of hospitals. Even before she was born, doctors ran tests regarding her heart and had a feeling there was something that they were not seeing. The day she was born, September 25th, 2018, doctors identified a medical issue. Paisley was whisked away from St. Joe's Hospital and transferred to Mott Children's Hospital for intensive care. Once there, doctors concluded that the lung that they believed to be damaged in labor had never fully developed. As days after her birth passed, Paisley stayed in the hospital so doctors could find out more about her condition. During this time, Paisley was found to be born with Bronchomalacia, a collapsed airway that would cause her to go into cardiac arrest anytime she was in distress. Her parents decided to have her get a Tracheostomy done. This created an opening in her neck into the trachea to provide an alternate airway. The procedure was done on March 1st, 2019, and this saved her life and let her go home from the hospital and grow. Paisley's doctors also found that she has the most severe form of Scimitar syndrome, a rare birth defect in which the right lung's veins drain blood to the wrong place, causing her heart to shift to the right side of her body. She was also born with fused ribs and vertebrae, causing scoliosis. The process of understanding Paisley’s condition caused her and her parents to be in and out of the hospital for the majority of her first year of life. Once she was stable enough to live at home, the main goal was to help her gain weight. This was difficult due to her diagnosis of gastroparesis, or paralysis in her stomach, resulting in her being 100% tube-fed to this day. Over the course of her seven years, Paisley has had over 40 surgeries to help with her condition. She also undergoes frequent occupational therapy to support her development. Additionally, Tiffany has taken five years off from her nursing career to take care of Paisley, which left Ryan as the family’s only stream of income for a while. Tiffany has recently gone back to working a part-time online job in the medical field. Through all of this, Paisley has astounded everyone around her. Doctors were wary of her making it past one year, and here she is today, pushing through it all with her extraordinary determination.

Paisley has influenced change in hospital training and procedures to help future patients with similar conditions. Both of Paisley’s brothers have become aware of her condition, with Ryker especially becoming protective of his sister. Both Tiffany and Ryan work every day with strength to ensure Paisley is taken care of with all the means she requires. Ryan states that they must be strong for her, saying, “You never know how strong you are until strong is the only option you have.” All of the support from the community can help the Longs decide Paisley’s future. She may need a heart and lung transplant that the family would need to move out of the state for. Through the SJ5K, we can help them continue to spread awareness throughout the community, as well as support Paisley’s ongoing treatment, so she can keep enjoying her life with her adoring family. Together, we can help the Long family keep their Hearts in Motion with RESILIENCE.