South Windsor for the Local Kids (SWFLK) held their Annual Dance Marathon on Friday, February 28th. This event marks the end of the fundraising season, and is a time to celebrate with the families who have benefited from the club’s donations.
SWFTK is one of the many clubs that South Windsor High School has to offer. It is a subsection of UCONN’s HuskyTHON organization through the JonaTHON’s program. Throughout the year, executive leaders and other participants collaborate to raise money for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center by hosting fundraisers and events such as the annual Volleyball Marathon.
“It’s a very inspiring experience to talk to these families and be able to honor the Cartier family,” Junior executive leader, Olivia Stoner, expressed. “They are so grateful for everything we do and I’m honored to be leading such a great cause.”
The night started off with a burst of energy and excitement as the students welcomed the families and former patients from the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. This year’s Dance Marathon celebrated the stories of three miracle kids: Ella, Michael and Jordyn. Each child was able to share how the club’s efforts impacted their lives, as well as pick a fun activity for those in attendance.
The first speaker of the night was Ella who was diagnosed with nemaline rod myopathy when she was only 6 months old. After her diagnosis, her doctors had little faith that Ella would ever speak, have any mobility, let alone stand, but through perseverance and determination, she fought through her battles.
Later on, she was also diagnosed with an immunoglobulin deficiency, which affects the immune system, making Ella more prone to sickness and infections.
“Our journey has been a lot of ups and downs, but because of CCMC, way more ups than downs,” Ella’s father explained.
Ella’s father shared that, with support from CCMC and the JonaTHON program, they are able to provide their daughter with the Immunoglobulin injections she needs.
The funds of SWFTK not only support the patient but their families needs as well. Whether it’s providing toys or activities for the patient’s siblings, or creating an overnight area for families, the money that is raised contributes to ensuring the family’s comfort.
“Even though one child is in the hospital the hospital cares for the whole family.”
The second speaker of the night was Michael. Michael was born prematurely at only 2 pounds and 2 ounces.
“He barely fit into the palm of my hand,” Michael’s mother recalled.
Michael faced many challenges as an infant, one of which was breathing on his own. He went into cardiac arrest in only his first week of life, but Michael fought through this challenge as well.
“He puts his heart into something and his mind into something, and as I tell him all the time, you can do anything,” Michael’s mother said.
After a heart surgery, 5 brain surgeries, and countless hospital visits, Michael’s mother expressed her gratitude towards the club’s support for CCMC. As she put it, “It helps fight the battles that no kid should ever really need to fight.”
Today, Michael aspires to play football, where his passion clearly demonstrates his love for the sport. Despite all of the trials that life has thrown at him, he still finds a way to live life to the fullest and continues to do the things he loves.
The third and final speaker of the night was Jordyn. Jordyn discovered that she had pulmonary stenosis, which is a heart disease that narrows the pulmonary valve resulting in a lack of oxygenated blood. After two operations, they were able to bring the valve from a 92% closure to a 30% closure.
After overcoming this obstacle, Jordyn is now a competitive dancer who participates in many genres of dance. She also hopes to play volleyball next year as she will be coming up to South Windsor High School as a freshman.
The club ended the evening with one last activity known as the Circle of Hope. This is when the miracle kids go around and cut off everyone’s hospital bracelets. This represents, “the strength of the kids from CCMC are after going through hardships at a young age,” senior club leader Aashritha Sathish told The Prowl.
The 8 executive leaders of the club revealed that they had raised a total of $6,581 for CCMC and HuskyTHON.
