Maine Girl Designs a Sneaker for Saucony for Children’s Hospital Where She Has Been Treated

Luna Velandry is one of a kind.

The 12-year-old girl from Kittery, Maine, has faced some tough challenges in life. According to seacoastonline.com, she was born with a heart defect and had many surgeries and many trips to the hospital in her first year of life. Now, she visits with her cardiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital just once a year, the article states.

What makes Luna even more special is she is now a shoe designer!

Her cardiologist, Dr. Naomi Gauthier is the director of the Cardiac Fitness Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and they have partnered with Saucony, the shoe company to design some sneakers, according to Seacoast Online.  Lucky Luna was chosen as one of the patients to design a sneaker for Saucony’s ‘Shoes with Soul’ collection, the article reported.

According to seacoastonline.com Luna says “It’s amazing, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I am happy to be part of. I’ve always been fascinated with space and a little bit before I started designing the sneakers, I was starting to paint a galaxy.  I thought it would be cool to include the galaxy into my sneakers.”

The sneakers that Luna designed will also reportedly feature her self-portrait on the tongue of the shoe.

"Proceeds from the sale of the shoes will benefit the Cardiac Fitness Program at Children’s Hospital" per seacoastonline.com.

The shoes are currently available at saucony.com/en/shoeswithsoul-collection.

What an excellent choice of an artist in Luna Velandry.  She is the embodiment of ‘Find your Possible.” She credits the doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital being alive today.  Way to go Luna!