Steve and Kathy Stigall have been married for 17 years. They got married in 2007 after meeting in college at Southern Methodist University. They have four children, their youngest being Lily, born August 29, 2016.
When Lily was just over a year old, she had a non-fatal drowning accident while the family was celebrating Thanksgiving.
“God saved her that night,” Kathy says. “But she was left with a severe anoxic brain injury.”
The family’s next few years were spent in and out of physical therapy for Lily, including stem cell and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Treatments were costly and not covered by any insurance. By 2020, the Stigalls began reaching out to their community for support.
The Race for Lily Grace was born in the middle of COVID, a virtual fundraising running event where people could sponsor the family.
It helped the family continue treatment for the next two years continuing treatment for Lily. But in June 2022, Lily passed away at the age of 5.
“After Lily passed away, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with all my time,” Kathy says. “For the past four and a half years, when Steve went to work and the big kids went to school, Lily and I did therapy eight hours a day. As I was working through this, the Lord put on my heart to minister to other moms who are caring for medically complex kids.”
On the advice of her husband, Kathy waited six months after Lily’s death to heal, before taking her mission to other moms.
“A video I posted on Lily’s Instagram account went viral and 30 million people saw my sweet girl light up and smile when she saw her brothers,” she says. “That video going viral gave me a bigger platform to share Lily’s story and help other moms.”
With a story to share and a new platform to share it on, Kathy founded Upheld Ministries, a nonprofit for mothers of medically complex children. The organization offers local gatherings for the moms and families of those children, as well as a free respite retreat. The organization also donates meals for the Ronald McDonald House and for families in the hospital, as well as hospital bags and LEGO sets to encourage children going through medical issues.
This month, the Stigalls are planning to continue the legacy of Race for Lily Grace, with proceeds going towards Upheld Ministries.
“Because we first did the Race for Lily Grace in 2020, we decided to make it a virtual event,” Kathy says. “We have kept it that way, because people who don’t live in Dallas can still participate.”
Sign-ups for children 12 and under are $20. Adults can sign up for $40, or purchase a t-shirt for the same price.
“On October 5, we will have a get-together at White Rock Lake for people in Dallas to come together and run if they would like, or simply hang out,” she says. “I could not imagine going through what we have endured without our community around us.”
