SUDBURY, MA – With every step on the historic grounds at The Wayside Inn, guests went further into a charming summer soiree that glittered into the evening under soft drapery & crystal chandeliers.
The biggest event of the season for the Who Says I Can’t foundation, funds raised from ticket sales, live and silent auctions and a 50/50 raffle all went to support prosthetic limbs for children like 10-year-old Emma. Emma was born without a tibia in her right leg, enduring a Brown’s reconstructive procedure at just 9 months old to be fitted with a baby prosthesis. As she grew, Emma wanted to become more active – but insurance didn’t cover the type of prosthetic she would need to be able to run, and the out-of-pocket cost was a staggering $21,000.
“Insurance only covers a walking leg. Insurance doesn’t allow a person to get back to sports,” says Cori Newcomb, emcee & advocate for Who Says I Can’t. “The team, the camaraderie that comes with hanging out with people in an athletic setting – it’s a mindset. It’s a game changer for people.”
Thankfully, Emma was connected with Mike Smerka of A Step Ahead Prosthetics after an above-leg amputation to be fitted for a more comfortable prosthesis. “I don’t think she realized how much she loved running until she was able to run.” Yet again, insurance was a roadblock. “Insurance companies they only really want to pay for what’s necessary – I think we’ve all experienced that at a time – and getting a prosthesis is sometimes difficult to get authorized in the first place,” explains Smerka. Yet even once a prosthesis is paid for and delivered, parents leave knowing that cost will be coming back around due to the fact that well, children grow.
That’s where Jothy comes in.
Jothy Rosenberg, bestselling author & founder of The Who Says I Can’t Foundation, knows firsthand what it feels like to have an overwhelming desire to be active despite physical limitations, and has made his life mission to support mobility gear for children with disabilities through their lifetime. “That’s exactly how we’re different,” explains Jothy. “We’re with you as you grow.”
What’s the vibe: The summer soiree on the charming grounds of Wayside Inn make for a memorable evening surrounded by acoustic guitars, light fare and an outstanding view.
“The champion word they use is ‘thrivorship’, and that’s what I love,” explains Newcomb. They enable the people by providing the equipment necessary, whether it be a limb, or a sled, paddleboard – whatever it is that they need to get back into the sport that they love.”
For 11-year-old McKinley Faye and her dad Jim, that gear was a mobile ski unit. “McKinley was very little, obviously not mobile herself independently but small enough to fit in the hiking backpack and that’s how we ski’d with this little cherub looking over my shoulder. We tried to ski at a real mountain, and then they had some issues with me putting my child in my backpack,” Faye explains. “We tried to learn about adaptive skiing, but equipment is hard to come by and it’s expensive.” Within a matter of hours of learning about McKinley, Jothy stepped up to make a commitment through Who Says I Can’t to fund McKinley’s first sit-ski.
“She moved into that ski when she was 5, and we ski’d that one until we couldn’t fit anymore,” laughed Faye. “They let Jothy know they couldn’t fit and he said, WSIC is gonna stand by you. They are now on their second ski from all over New England to as far as Colorado. It kinda leaves ya speechless, a bit you know?”
While those moments flying down the mountain are some of the best memories for the Faye family, Jim explains that the Who Says I Can’t Foundation’s impact extends far beyond the day trips. “This year with Emma and her blades, it’s not just about when she’s running. She’s laying in bed at night, I imagine, anticipating a day that involves running wherever she wants to go. McKinley is anticipating the next time we load the lift. It’s not just the individual as McKinley or Emma, it’s their family, it’s the community.”
To learn more about or make a donation to the Who Says I Can’t Foundation, visit https://whosaysicant.org/.
To see more stories like this or if you have an event you’d like to pitch to Emmalyn to cover, email emmalyn@emmalynreid.com.
Emmalyn Reid 