Walk 'Payden Strong' On Sunday For Tiny Murrieta Girl Plagued By Baffling Strokes

MURRIETA, CA -- The community is invited to join family and friends who will go "Payden Strong" on Sunday at Town Square Park - walking in a fundraiser for Payden Benson, a Murrieta 6-year-old currently undergoing a heartbreaking recovery from pediatric strokes.

"Her parents are at a loss. They have no answers as to why their once-healthy child keeps having strokes," says family friend Tenaya Davison.

Little Payden, a student at Lisa J. Mails Elementary School in Murrieta, first began complaining of headaches, tired eyes and dizziness a few months ago -- symptoms dismissed by some medical professional as nothing alarming and maybe even a sign she merely needed glasses, Davison said.

The symptoms, however, lingered and worsened until Payden collapsed in March after a softball game.

"Payden was put on life flight to Rady's Hospital and more testing was done. We waited and waited. Finally they called to tell us the neurologist had results and needed to talk to us," said Payden's mother, Rebekah.

"He gave us the dreaded news that our 6-year-old daughter had suffered a stroke, and they didn't know why? What a stroke, how can this be?!? The stroke damaged her two left-side frontal lobes, the ones that control speech and movement on the right side, but that he was optimistic with her only being 6 years old that she would recover well."

Since then, Payden, her mom and dad have been thrust into a heart-wrenching, emotionally draining journey of surgeries, scans and hospitalization.

Read more on Payden's story here.

The Sunday, May 22 walk is set in May to coordinate with Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month, said Davison of the local Love Song Events & Photography Inc.

Registration is at 8:30 a.m., but pre-registration is recommended. And the "warrior walk" -- complete with D.J. music, so leave the headphones home! -- begins at 10:30 a.m. There will be prize giveaways at 11:45 a.m. Registrants are encouraged to wear purple -- the themed color of pediatric stroke awareness.

T-shirts, tank tops and "Payden Strong" bracelets will be available at the event, along with a craft table where participants can decorate ribbons for Payden's room!

To sign up for the fundraiser and learn more about the "Payden Strong" walk, follow this link and show your community support for our little, local warrior and her family in this time of need.

Also, be sure to check out and "like" Prayers for Payden on Facebook!