Whether it’s when a Southside Elementary School student dons a pink and turquoise T-shirt on what’s been declared Wheezy Wednesday or when one takes a look at the similarly colored bench on the school’s playground, it’s easy to see evidence of life inspired by Wheezy.
Eloise Ann “Wheezy” Owen of Cabot was born June 15, 2006, with hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, a severe congenital heart defect in which her left-heart ventricle never fully formed. Eloise died Jan. 7, 2016, after experiencing a series of pulmonary hemorrhages. Eloise was known in the community as Wheezy because she was on oxygen for a portion of her life.
In her honor, family and friends will present the second annual Walk for Wheezy from 2-4 p.m. Feb. 26 at Cabot Panther Stadium, 401 N. Lincoln St. All money raised from the event will go to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
“I was blown away by this opportunity to further her legacy,” said Sarah Owen, Eloise’s mother. “One of my fears as a parent is that she would be forgotten, and this is just another way that we are remembering her and remembering her passion for life and her purpose in life, and also being able to give back to the organization that ultimately benefited her medical care and the reason she lived for 9 1/2 years.”
The event’s structure is “two hours, 1 mile for half a heart.” Participants will walk four laps around the track, participate in crafts and activities, then release balloons that are pink and turquoise — Eloise’s signature colors — at the end of the two-hour period.
“We just realized the community just rolled out for this family, for this little girl, and that it would be an amazing thing to just ride that wave and help raise money and awareness,” said Darcy Eddington, event co-founder.
Last year’s inaugural Walk for Wheezy was inspired by the huge turnout at Eloise’s visitation on Jan. 13, 2016. The walk was planned in just five weeks — in order to be held during American Heart Month — and raised $17,682.
“At the visitation, Sarah had come up to me and gave me a big hug and said, ‘Use her story, Bailey,’” said Bailey Moses, co-founder of Walk for Wheezy. “We know Eloise had a powerful, inspiring story, so that’s also where the brainstorming came in.”
About 700 people — young, old, in wheelchairs and strollers — participated in last year’s walk in honor of Eloise, who has been described as feisty, sassy, spunky and a warrior. Organizers said this year’s walk will be a larger event and will include a carnival, food trucks, a DJ and an appearance by Miss Arkansas Savannah Skidmore. There will also be crafts geared for children.
“I think that was a really great therapy outlet for the kids — to just write a note to Wheezy or write a memory about Wheezy or something like that,” said Zoe Eddington, co-founder.
Starting last year on what was declared Wheezy Wednesday, Southside Elementary School students donned turquoise and pink Walk for Wheezy T-shirts. Eloise’s story also stirred the hashtag #LifeInspiredByWheezy.
Because Eloise couldn’t run without experiencing difficulties, the event is structured as a community walk. However, Sarah Owen said, Eloise was still a very active child. A little over a week before her death, Santa Claus brought Eloise roller blades and a tumbling mat, Owen said.
“She only had half a heart, so medically, anatomically, physically, she should have been weak, puny, short of breath, limited, because that’s [how] her body was made up,” Owen said. “She pushed through all those limits, and she played community rec basketball; she played community recreational volleyball. She took dance for seven years three nights a week. She did tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop and tumbling. She didn’t stop.”
Walk for Wheezy founders chose to donate event funds to the Children’s Miracle Network because of the role it played in Eloise’s life.
“The neat connection between the Children’s Miracle Network and Eloise is that Arkansas Children’s Hospital is the only children’s hospital in the state of Arkansas; therefore, that is the partnering hospital with the Children’s Miracle Network,” Owen said.
Moses, who is part of the Miss Arkansas Scholarship pageant, said Eloise was a Diamond State Princess through the pageant and received mentorship from Moses.
“During rehearsals, one day Sarah and Eloise came up to me, and Eloise had been talking about when she’s going to be Miss Arkansas and what her platform is going to be. She said, ‘Bailey, my platform’s going to be Children’s Miracle Network hospitals so I can help little boys and girls like me,’” Moses said.
Owen said she jokes that if Eloise had a microphone and mirror at hand, she had found her best friend.
“She was also involved in the high school productions even as an elementary kid because they need those parts,” Zoe Eddington said. “She just had this presence about her. The spotlight was just kind of drawn to her.”
Eloise lived life to the fullest, Owen said.
“We traveled. We had life experiences. We did things as a family,” she said. “We didn’t limit ourselves to just sitting at home. We let her live life, and we have a lot of adults who have come to us after seeing who she was through the Walk for Wheezy and the funeral and the visitation [who have been inspired to] live life to the fullest regardless of [their] limitations.”
Tickets for Walk for Wheezy are $25 for children and $30 for adults. Registrations made by Feb. 16 will include an event T-shirt. Registrations will be accepted at the event site the day of the walk but will not include a T-shirt. For more information, visit www.walkforwheezy.com.
Staff writer Syd Hayman can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or shayman@arkansasonline.com.