Miami Lakes resident Madison Fernandez, student at Immaculate Conception Catholic School, has always had a heart for others, so when she requested that in lieu of presents for her 8th birthday party, she would have guests bring shoes for orphans in India, her parents weren’t caught by surprise. The only surprising element was how detailed her charitable plans were.
“I’m not sure why she chose India, or shoes for that matter, but she did,” said Madison’s mom, Leslie Fernandez. “I took it upon myself to contact several orphanages in India and the first person to reply was the executive director and founder of Sunil’s Home.”
Leslie had since been in contact with Sunil’s Home’s founder, who happens to reside in South Florida. The founder was able to provide Leslie with a list of necessities as she explained that shoes are not typical of their culture. Instead, clothing items were gathered. Each of the 48 children at Sunil’s Home received a gift from a guest at Madison's birthday.
The small celebration the Fernandez family was once planning turned out to be quite the occasion. Madison’s 8th birthday was held on Saturday, October 11, at Monsignor Edward Pace High School, Leslie and her husband's alma mater.
“I believe our children are some of the most privileged children in this town,” said Leslie. “They are all blessed with nice homes, beautiful clothing, and tons of extracurricular activities and I believe we need to instill in them an ‘attitude of gratitude.’ My husband and I could have chosen to ignore our daughter’s request, but instead we chose to nurture this beautiful act of kindness.”