BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - This weekend you can help spread awareness for a disease that is robbing children of their lives.
Saturday is the 7th annual Rabbit Run and Bunny Run for the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance at Yokuts Park in Southwest Bakersfield.
The 5K/10K run/walk will raise money to research the mysterious disease that slowly deteriorates the body's muscle tissue.
Currently there is no treatment or cure for the lethal disease that impacts one in every 50,000 people around the country.
23ABC sat down with Jerod Laird, a local young man with the rare disease, and his mother Carrie Laird to talk about the debilitating diagnosis.
Carrie explained, "in the last five years it's changed a lot. Jerod was walking full time a year ago and he's now in a wheelchair fulltime."
But through it all Jerod has always kept his spirits high with a grin on his face.
"I feel good, I always feel good" the now 25-year-old said.
This weekends run/walk starts Saturday at 8am at Yokuts Park. Children cost $15 and adults are $35.