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Team Rallies for Jackson

It doesn’t take a veteran Cincinnati Walks for Kids walker to become a top fundraiser. Last year, Santina and her family participated in their first Cincinnati Walks for Kids, and she came in as the second highest individual fundraiser! Her team ended up in fourth place, raising more than $13,000 for the Perlman Center at Cincinnati Children’s.

Santina’s secret fundraising weapons were her story and her connections.

“I work at a big company, but we’re like family,” Santina says. “I told my coworkers about my son, Jackson, who has a very rare brain disorder. Our director of community service got involved and we were overwhelmed with the response.”

They formed a team in Jackson’s honor and shared his story with their own friends and family.

When he was 6 months old, Jackson was diagnosed with lissencephaly, a very rare brain formation disorder. It affects every aspect of Jackson’s development .

He sees specialists in neurology every six months and visits the Perlman Center twice a week. His ability to smile and laugh throughout his care helped Santina’s coworkers rally around the team.

“Since he started at the Perlman Center, we’ve really seen his personality come out more,” she says. “He can light up a room with his smile. And we’re so thankful that we have Cincinnati Children’s so close.”

Santina says she’s already planning fundraisers for her walk team this year, and is looking forward to giving back to the hospital. She’s again planning to engage her coworkers in her fundraising efforts, and encourages others to do the same.

“The biggest thing was just sharing our story,” she says. “It’s so important to share why you want people to get involved, and it helps to tell people when they donate that they’ll be helping Jackson and kids like him.

Tell us your story and you could be featured in a Weekly Walker or other Cincinnati Walks for Kids materials!