MONTICELLO, Georgia — In the midst of incredible pain, one Georgia boy is still smiling.
Justin Gilstrap is the epitome of perseverance. The little boy has endured countless surgeries, painful physical therapy and incredible trauma -- all stemming from an incident over a year ago.
It was Jan. 6, 2023, in Grovetown when the then 11-year-old was attacked by three of his neighbor's dogs. He was catastrophically injured, losing one ear and requiring a full reconstruction of his scalp.
His recovery has been painful and difficult. But as young as he is, he chooses to take it all in stride.
With his glass-half-full attitude, he wakes up every day and tells his mom, "One day at a time."
Those who had heard of Justin's story wanted to make one of those days his best yet. The owner of Monticello Kart Racing, Cory McMichael, organized a back-to-school ride for the little boy to show him all the support he has in the community.
McMichael even teamed up with Georgia State Patrol to give him the day of his dreams before he heads back to the classroom.
"All want to do is show Justin that there are so many people who care about him. Every day, my mission is to make the world a better place one person at a time," McMichael said.
Dozens of people came out for the go-kart race, including Kelly Leverett, who documented the event and how Gilstrap got to go for a loop around the track and had a go-kart dedicated to him. She even shared pictures of the joy the community's support brought to Justin as he heads back to school.
It will be an intense year for the little boy, who is still recovering from his devastating injuries. His family has also filed a lawsuit against the owner of the dogs that mauled him, seeking compensatory damages along with punitive damages with “no limitation.”
But each day is a new day. And Justin, with his bright smile and radiating positivity, plans to march ahead -- a shining example to all of what it means to be resilient.
Check out the pictures Kelly Leverett took of the event below.
