Delaney's New Passion: Wheelchair Racing

“Have courage and be kind.”

These words, bestowed upon Cinderella by her mother, inspire Delaney to fight her battle with spina bifida. Her positive outlook and social calendar overshadow her daily struggles;  there’s waterskiing, shrimping, Girl Scouts, piano lessons, volunteering and her latest passion: wheelchair racing.

Born with spina bifida in 2006, Delaney’s family began to reach out to others in the community and met Jennifer Moore and Gavin Sims. Together they found ways to create a support group, Krewe of Kindness and “have found that living the ‘bif life’ is a lot more doable when you have a friend and shoulder to lean on.”

Chosen as a CMN Hospitals National Champion Ambassador for Alabama in 2016 and 2017, Delaney has represented both University of South Alabama Children & Women’s Hospital and CMN Hospitals. She continues to find passion to help fundraise and raise awareness about inclusion through wheelchair racing.

During the Disney Princess Half Marathon, February 21-24, she met up with her pal Gavin Sims and fellow Krewe of Kindness ambassadors to race the events.

 Delaney understands first hand how donations like those raised during the Disney Princess Half Marathon help kids like her. Throughout her journey with her local CMN Hospital, Delaney has received treatments and consultations with specialists in neurosurgery, orthopedics, urology and more. All these areas of the hospital are supported by CMN Hospitals donations.

Delaney completed her first Disney Princess Half Marathon event in 2018, participating in the 5K. In 2019, Delaney completed the 10K.

All together, the Krewe of Kindness raised a total of $3200 for CMN Hospitals by participating in the half marathon events. Next week, they are donating $1300 to USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Mobile to go towards the pediatric emergency room renovation. The $1300 represents their 13 years of life being supported by USACW.