STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — There were few places Luciana Purtill enjoyed more than the water.
“I don’t know if it was the weightlessness or just that she felt free,” said Marisa Purtill, Luciana’s mother.
Free from medical challenges that only worsened as Luciana got older; the 6 1/2 year-old battled a progressive and genetic mitochondrial disease called Leigh Syndrome.
The seizures, feeding tube, and inability to sit up by herself somehow seemed to fade away when Luciana floated in her hot tub or splashed around in her grandparent’s pool.
“I think this last summer she swam every single day,” Marisa said.
We first met the Purtill’s in 2019. Marisa and her husband Corey were fighting to keep a specializedtherapy program at Beaumont Health, not just for Luciana but for the other kids who relied on it. They won that fight, only to be faced with another just nine months ago when Luciana contracted COVID-19.
After 6 1/2 years together, Marisa and Corey lost a constant source of light.
“She would just always keep me happy because she was always so happy,” Marisa said, holding a photo of Luciana.
“She had a lot of fight in her,” Corey said.
Now, Corey and Marisa are taking Luciana’s strength and turning loss into hope for other families. With the help of the Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation Department, they selected a special adaptive waterproof wheelchair to be donated to the splash pad at Dodge Park, in Luciana’s name.
The splash pad’s current waterproof wheelchair doesn’t recline; something Luciana would have required.
“We never even stepped foot in here with her. I know she would have loved it if she could have experienced it,” Marisa said.
Now, thanks to Marisa and Corey’s donation, kids like Luciana will be able to experience the splash pad fully.
“It’s small things like this that make the world of a difference,” said executive director of the Parks and Recreation Department, Kyle Langlois.
The Purtill’s also started a special foundation in their daughter’s name, called Luciana’s Legacy. It aims to support families battling difficult diagnosis like Luciana’s.
You can read more about Luciana’s Legacy here.
As for the splash pad, the wheelchair is now available for use. Marisa hopes it brings more families there, and gives them the freedom to enjoy something Luciana never did.
“I think she’d liked it. I think she’s happy,” Marissa told Action News.
