The Story Behind the Shoes
In May of 2019, my son and daughter-in-law lost a precious baby girl at 8 1/2 months pregnant. They had a labor date scheduled as it was getting closer to the due date. She went to the doctor for her weekly Dr. visit. After a few minutes, they couldn't find a heart beat for the baby.
After more tests they knew baby Cecelia had gone to be with Jesus. My daughter-in-law had to be induced and go into labor all night in order to deliver Cecelia stillborn.
She had dark hair and looked like her older sister.
In May of 2020 I wanted to do something special to honor baby Cecelia and wasn't sure what. This was during the beginning of the pandemic and options were limited. When stores were able to open back up in May, I went to DSW shoe store. I selected some shoes and went to the new designated try on spaces.
A toddler about 18 months old came up to me. She had such joy in her eyes and her feet! Her mom had let her try on some really cute white sandals with a sparkly flower on them. She was tapping her feet and dancing showing me her shoes. Then I heard her mom, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother talking about how to pay for the shoes. The mom said she didn't have the funds and she had just let the precious little girl try them on for fun.
I knew she had to go home with those shoes! They were trying to figure out how to pay for a $25 pair of shoes. I turned and asked them if I could pay for them and offered a brief explanation about Cecelia. They came over and asked if they could hug me.
As I gave them the money, I asked what the girls name was. I almost expected it to be Cecelia as God has that way. The little girls name was Emerald, which is the birthstone of May.
As I went to my car, I had a sad but peaceful feeling that I had honored Cecelia in God's eyes. Then He said "There are more children that need you."
That is how God put it on my heart to create Cecelia's Shoes, a non profit for children that otherwise wouldn't have shoes that fit and that hopefully give them joy.