Mikaela Frances Jane

A website for our family and friends to keep up with Mikaela and her Arthrogryposis.
Also to help families find their way through this journey.

  
 
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." - Gandhi
 
 
 
 

Luca "Lazylegz" Patuelli

 


 

"No Excuses, No Limits"

 

At the 2010 AMCSI Convention
Mikaela and Naomi got the chance to spend some time with Luca,
and thanks to my friend Maggie, I have these pictures.
The girls are wearing the ILL-Abilities t-shirts
showing "Lazylegz" their support!
If you'd like to buy a shirt,
  just click the box below.




Luca's 1-km Walk!

On the last day of the convention, I got up at 5:30am to go downstairs and let people know where to go for Luca's walk. I sat in the lobby of our hotel, listening to families getting up to do the walk, while thinking about life, my brother Jesse and Mikaela.

Once 7am rolled around I went down to meet up with everyone. The whole time we walked behind Luca, myself along with everyone else was so proud and taken back by his strength. He is such an inspiration to millions, but to us it was watching one of our own family members accomplish his greatest feat! To walk without braces or crutches, and he did it! Luca is incredible!

Here are some words taken from his website.

"I am proud to share with you all that my 1-Km walk challenge was a great success. I was able to complete the walk in just under 1-hour which was my personal goal. I fell several times and needed some support at times, but most importantly I got through it without my crutches and leg braces. I also was extremely thankful and am still speechless with the amount of support I had. First off, from all the encouraging messages on my Facebook and then the morning of the walk there was probably over 60 families that walked with me. Their encouragement definitely motivated me during the times of the walk that I almost felt like giving up. There was a point in the walk where I really couldn’t feel my legs anymore, at that moment there was this beautiful little girl named Kora that has AMC just like me and her parents stood her up next to me and she started taking steps along side me. It was that moment that I knew I absolutely could not give up. I had to prove it to everyone that I could do this and its been my dream as a child to be able to get rid of my crutches one day. Well I can tell you I am getting closer to that dream now!"

Video of Luca's walk