COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — A pediatric cancer patient is giving back to the hospital that helped her through treatment, and spreading her sparkle in the process.
Lexy McRae is a little girl who is making a big difference as she uses her creativity to raise money for a children’s hospital. The middle-schooler is lacing up her shoes to make an impact.
12-year-old Lexy is a dancer, actor, and now, a shoe designer. The 7th grader teamed up with the athletic brand, Saucony, for their “Run for Good” children’s program, which allows young hospital patients to design sneakers. She gave News 3 the inside scoop on her shoe designing experience.
“I picked flowers and I picked my favorite colors and glitter because I love glitter. I love it. We put that all together and it turned out amazing, I was so excited with how it turned out.”
In 2019, Lexy was referred to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center for pain in her arm. Testing soon revealed she had osteosarcoma. She went through nine months of chemotherapy and five surgeries there.
Now a percentage of her shoe sales goes directly towards the hospital that helped her get through treatment. Lexy’s mother, Katy McRae, spoke about her daughter’s focus on others amidst her life-changing news.
“Lexy was determined from the beginning. Once she found out and we shared with her that she had cancer she said my goal is to help other people. She said other kids don’t have the family or the friends that I have and so I want to do everything I can to help them.”
Lexy has been dancing since she was two years old and is currently a student at Rainey McCullers School of the Arts. Her shoe design was inspired by her passion for dance and for performing.
“When I was thinking about designing them I thought about in TV shows and movies when they show rose petals on the stage when somebody does a great job. So we put rose petals on it to show that when you’re walking in the shoes you’ve done something good… that you’ve supported childhood cancer.”
The impact of these shoes is more than a fashion statement, the cancer center cares for over 500 newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.
Lexy says she hopes when people wear her shoes they know they’ve done something worthy of rose petals.
Click here to see Lexy’s shoes as well as shoes designed by other young patients.