Lucy meets Luci: A Community Comes Together for a MiracleFeet Fundraiser
Picture Perfect
The forecast called for rain, but World Clubfoot Day 2016 it turned out to be beautiful. Friends and family walked in honor of Lucy, a bright-eyed little girl born with clubfoot. Soon, another Luci showed up with her family. Her parents drove three hours to the event to walk in honor of their clubfoot baby. It was a great morning getting to know each other!
When Jessica was pregnant and found out that Lucy would be born with clubfoot, she was nervous, but relieved to find out that the condition was common. She started researching and talking to other parents. Jessica soon realized how common the condition actually was when she found out that her cousin was also born with clubfoot.
At the advice of others, she attempted to consult with some doctors before Luci was born. Unfortunately, she was unable to find any physicians willing to meet. After unsuccessful treatment locally in Rhode Island, Jessica decided to take Lucy to Boston. With the financial support of family and friends to supplement gaps in health insurance, they were able to get Luci the treatment and surgery she needed for her complex case.
Turning to Others
Once she knew her daughter was in good hands, Jessica wanted to help others. “I just wanted to give back and help another child,” she said. She immediately thought about a woman in her local community who started an annual Alzheimer’s walk and raises tens of thousands of dollars.
Jessica launched the Rhode Island World Clubfoot Day Walk-A-Thon. Jessica took to the phones with a relentless passion, directly reaching out to local businesses to ask for donations. She wrote letters explaining clubfoot, offering statistics, and talking about MiracleFeet’s mission. A few months later, Lucy and Luci were playing together at the event, and Jessica had raised over $1,000 for MiracleFeet!
Jessica understands how difficult it can be to deal with a clubfoot diagnosis. With the long nights and endless appointments, it can be so tempting to throw in the towel. Jessica’s best advice to parents dealing with a clubfoot diagnosis is to be persistent.
We are so grateful to Jessica and other fundraisers like her who are changing the lives of children around the world, in honor of their own.