Asa is 12 years old. He’s a seventh grader at Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School and lives in Brewster with his mom and younger brother and sisters.

This October he has another major orthopedic reconstruction surgery. Asa is resilient, shy, a bright spirit who has overcome incredible obstacles since birth. Born with severe bilateral clubfeet, Asa has faced challenges that most kids never imagine, yet he continues to meet life with courage and humor.

Asa’s Journey:

Asa’s fight began at just five days old, when he started the Ponseti method of serial casting to reshape his legs. At only eight weeks old, he had his first surgery, a bilateral Achilles tenotomy. Unfortunately, it failed, and everything had to be repeated when he was just nine months old.

For years, Asa wore braces on his legs for up to 23 hours a day. By age five, he underwent his third surgery, anterior tibialis tendon transfers (ATTT). This time it was a success! Asa could finally walk, run, and play just in time to start kindergarten.

But in fifth grade, everything changed again. Growth spurts caused his deformity to relapse, and he had to undergo the same tendon transfer surgeries again. This time, it failed. Asa missed nearly half the school year, spent six months unable to walk, and came out worse than before.

Finally, in April 2025, Asa found hope. Under the care of specialist Dr. Collin May, he endured a 5.5-hour total ankle reconstruction surgery on his right foot. After two weeks at Boston Children’s Hospital and five months of physical therapy, Asa is now taking his first steps without a walker. His right foot is strong and ready to support him through what comes next: a complete reconstruction of his left ankle on October 15, 2025.

Why We Need Help

While insurance helps with some of the medical bills, the reality is that the hidden costs of Asa’s care are overwhelming. Just one pair of socks for his braces costs $60 each, and he requires specialized shoes and multiple sets of adaptive equipment. His walker alone was a major expense, and we recently had to renovate his bedroom to make it more accessible during recovery.

On top of that, Asa and his family travel more than 200 miles every week to Boston for physical therapy, surgical follow-ups, and brace fittings. With a 2006 minivan, the constant gas, wear-and-tear, and parking fees add up fast. Many times, the family has even slept in their van overnight because hotel stays in Boston are unaffordable before early morning appointments.

Although Asa qualifies for disability, the Social Security process is long, complicated, and still pending. In the meantime, every expense has fallen on his mom’s shoulders. To keep up with day-to-day needs and care, the family has had to rely on mom's credit cards: paying for gas, school supplies, clothes, and even a recent $700 repair just to keep their vehicle on the road.

The Impact of Your Support

This October, Asa will undergo his final total reconstruction surgery. Once he recovers, Asa’s problem will be solved permanently. He will walk, run, and ride bikes with his friends again. He will climb trees, play lacrosse, and experience childhood without the constant burden of pain and braces.

Your donation will go directly toward:

Adaptive equipment, braces, shoes, and supplies Asa needs to walk

Travel costs for frequent Boston appointments (gas, parking, maintenance)

Support for Asa’s home recovery environment, including accessibility needs

Basic family support so his mom can stay by his side throughout his surgeries and rehabilitation

With your help, Asa will not only walk again… he will thrive.

A Message of Thanks

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read Asa’s story. As his mom, it’s not easy to ask for help, but I know we cannot do this last stretch alone. Every single donation (no matter the size) brings us one step closer to giving Asa the childhood he deserves: a future where he can walk, run, and play without pain.

Please, if you are able, consider donating and sharing this campaign with others. Your support will carry Asa through this final surgery and recovery. We are endlessly grateful for every act of kindness and generosity.

From Asa: “Thank you for helping me walk again. I can’t wait to ride bikes with my friends and play lacrosse when my feet are fixed.”

Asa may never walk pain free again, but with your support and his talented team of surgeons , Asa may finally walk without a limp.

UPDATE:

✨ How Your Donations Will Help Asa

We are so deeply grateful for every share and every donation already helping us move forward. Many of you have asked how exactly the funds will be used, so I want to share a clear breakdown.

While insurance covers some of Asa’s medical bills, the real burden comes from the hidden costs of his recovery: travel, equipment, and basic family support while I care for him and his siblings full-time.

Here’s what your donations will go toward:

Hotel near Boston Children’s Hospital (Oct 15–25, 2025)

10 nights at ~$220/night → $2,200

(So Asa and I don’t have to sleep in the van during his critical recovery window.)

⛽️ Gas & Parking for Weekly Boston Trips (through surgery & recovery)

~200+ miles/week + parking for ~12 weeks → $1,200

Adaptive Equipment & Supplies

Brace socks ($60 each, needs multiples)

Specialized shoes for braces

Walker/crutches and fittings

Adjustments at Boston Orthotics

→ $1,500

Van Maintenance & Wear (2006 minivan, heavy miles)

Repairs and upkeep → $800

Home Accessibility & Recovery Support

Asa’s bedroom + recovery setup → $1,000

‍‍ Basic Family Support

Covering food, school supplies, bills while I’m unable to work during Asa’s surgery + recovery → $3,000

Total Goal:

$10,000

Every dollar goes directly toward helping Asa walk again and making sure our family can get through this last stretch of the journey without collapsing under the weight of it all.

Thank you for standing with us : for donating, for sharing, and for keeping Asa in your hearts as he prepares for his big surgery on October 15th. Together, we can help him walk, run, and play again.

With gratitude,

Asa’s family