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Strong Heart Trail Trot - The 4th Year

Hope for Holden

Strong Heart Trail Trot - 2018

For our 4th edition of this event we will be lacing up the trail shoes for a special little 4 year old who is battling Paraspinal Rhabdoid Sarcoma, a very rare form of cancer. Holden has also survived multiple open heart surgeries. He is a very special and very brave little man. 

WHEN? Friday (evening), July 13, 2018 / 7 PM Start

WHERE? Southdown Trails off of Valhi Rd (Houma)
(south of Hollywood Rd)

HOW MUCH? Only $10 per race entry

WHAT? 2-Mile trail run on grassy trails

Year 4 - A Great Success

What an amazing event last night. The 4th year for the Strong Heart Trail Trot was a great success. More than 60 participants came out to the trails at Southdown to show love and support to Holden Giroir as he faces aggressive chemotherapy over the next 5 months at St. Jude in Tennessee. The trails were wet and hot and muggy. At times it was hard to breathe. A few racers even slipped a little here and there. But nobody quit...because we were running for Holden and we all know that Holden can't quit either.

Special thanks to all who attended and to those who sponsored or donated items to help make this event a success:

- Jason Cheek/ Lee Babin, TrueBlu Water

- Dr. Stephen Morgan, Houma Family Dental
- Ashley Fontenot, Amber Berry, Gena Ragas, Twisted Fitness
- Jessica Walter, Texas Roadhouse
- Kelly McElroy, Houma Courier
- Michael Bergeron/Kevin Guidry, Terrebonne Rec District

Many folks who couldn't make it to the event made online donations...we thank you, and everyone else who donated, And, as always, we couldn't do it without the timing expertise of Cory and Katie Bourg of Split Second Timing, LLC.

Bradly & Alisha - your community came out last night in full force to show their love and support for you and Holden and for your entire family. ❤️❤️

Our prayers are with you every step of the way.

Top Winners

Female:
  1. Stefanie Slekis 12:24
  2. Brynn Kelso 13:53
MALE:
  1.  Danny Cockerham 12:01
  2. Lee Babin 12:11


Holden Giroir

Holden was born with a congenital heart defect that required open heart surgery when he was born and again at 18 months old. At birth, he was also diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Deletion 22q11 which can come with an array of different problems concerning every system in his body. Fortunately, he has not had any complications with this disorder as of yet. Recently, on an x-ray to evaluate for possible scoliosis, a large mass was unexpectedly found in Holden's chest. This mass has begun to destroy some of the bones of his spinal column and has started to invade the spinal canal.
Holden's biopsy results have come back showing that he has a rare type of cancer called Paraspinal Rhabdoid Sarcoma. Treatments have begun at St Jude Hospital in Tennessee to shrink it. Please continue to pray for Holden's healing and restoration and for his family in that we have to be apart for extended periods right now. Please continue to pray!! Holden is the son of Bradley and Alisha Giroir

What is Paraspinal Sarcoma?

Sarcomas are cancerous tumors that invade the body’s soft tissues such as muscle, nerves and fat.

Paraspinal sarcoma originates in the area on either side of the spine (paraspinal region). It can also involve the space within the vertebra known as the spinal canal (vertebrae and epidural region).

Paraspinal sarcoma is rare but usually very serious. It is serious because of its location near delicate parts of the nervous system. Symptoms sometimes do not appear until the cancer is in an advanced stage or a person assumes that the back pain is caused by another reason.

There are two types of paraspinal sarcoma:

  • Primary, which begins in the paraspinal area
  • Metastatic, which has spread from another part of the body  

Treatment and survival rates are somewhat different for the two types of paraspinal sarcoma.

How common is paraspinal sarcoma?

Paraspinal sarcoma is so rare that it is hard to find reliable data on how often it occurs. Sarcomas themselves are rare. They represent about 1% of all cancers or about 15,000 new cases each year in the U.S.

How is Paraspinal Sarcoma treated?

The goal of treatment for paraspinal sarcoma is to relieve pain and preserve function of the nervous system. The best treatment is usually surgery because it is the fastest way to reach these goals. Even a noncancerous (benign) tumor can press on the spinal cord and other nearby delicate structures.

During surgery, a surgeon will remove as many cancer cells as possible as well as some of the noncancerous cells in that area. If paraspinal sarcoma has spread from other parts of the body, there may be many tumors.

A cancer specialist (oncologist) might suggest other treatments along with surgery:

Chemotherapy (“chemo”)—uses cancer-killing drugs that are delivered either by mouth or by vein. For paraspinal sarcoma, chemo is often used to destroy any tumor cells remaining after surgery, including those that were not reached during surgery.

Chemo affects all living cells including healthy ones because it is a body-wide treatment. It can be useful when treating paraspinal sarcoma that has spread to other parts of the body.

Side effects of chemo can be severe and include hair loss, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting and mouth sores. These side effects tend to go away after treatment ends. Because of the side effects, doctors usually space the treatments apart to give the body time to recover between each one.

Radiation Therapy—uses high-energy light particles, such as X-rays or gamma rays, to destroy the cancer. Radiation therapy is more targeted than chemo, so it doesn’t usually affect the whole body. Side effects may include skin problems, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, swelling and weakness.

Other types of treatment are in various stages of clinical trials.