LYNN — 16-year-old Fiona Hyland was born with bilateral talipes, or clubfoot, and has been a patient at Boston Children’s Hospital since she was one month old. Inspired by the care she has received, Hyland has made it her mission to give back to the hospital.
This Saturday and Sunday, she will hold a yard sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 10 Colonial Ave., donating all of the proceeds to the Walk for BCH.
“I’ve been walking for Boston Children’s for, I think, 11 years now, starting when I was 5 or 6,” Hyland said.
To raise funds for the walk, Hyland’s yard sale will include an abundance of “random” items including sleeping bags, small furniture, hordes of books, DVDs, suitcases, and much more.
She said there will also be refreshments, including cookies and lemonade.
“I walk because I can. If I hadn’t had Boston Children’s Hospital, most people with clubfoot, if you don’t get treatment, you never get to walk,” Hyland said. “Because I’ve gotten treatment from them, I’m not just walking, I’ve ran on the rack team, I’ve been doing pointe in ‘Nutcracker’ productions, I’m doing so many things that other kids with clubfoot never get to do.”
Because of her experience at the hospital, Hyland has aspirations to become a pediatric surgeon at BCH, helping children in the same way her doctors have helped her.
She said the best way to give back in the meantime, at her age, is by fundraising.
“It’s not just a hospital. It’s not just a place where kids go when they’re sick and they leave when they’re better. So many kids end up having fun there. They go in sick and they come out smiling more than they were before,” Hyland said. “They have all of these really cool programs, even just the little things… It’s so much more than just doctors treating a patient. They really bring (your) childhood back.”
Those who are unable to attend the yard sale can donate to Hyland’s cause at https://secure.childrenshospital.org/site/TR/Walk/Walk?px=1285460&pg=personal&fr_id=2460&cap_id=1285460.
