Medical students at the TCU School of Medicine helped 50 students from Fort Worth’s Stop 6 neighborhood live their sneaker dreams at a Hurst Foot Locker on Saturday.
Sam Sayed is a second-year medical student. He was inspired by an act of kindness from his big sister Dayna.
“One summer she surprised me and our brother and she said hey, let’s go to the shoe store, and choose any pair of Nikes you wanted,” said Sam Sayed, Co-Founder of Dayna’s Footprints.
In 1997, 16-year-old Dayna Sayed was killed in a drive-by shooting.
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“This is a way for us to walk in her footsteps, hence the name, Dayna’s Footsteps," said Sayed. "We hope she’s shining down on us with a big smile because she’s really the inspiration behind all of this."
Tiffaney Stewart’s also took part in the shoe drive. Her 10 kids gushed over their new shoes during the event. Like Sayed, Stewart has also lost a family member.
“I have nine kids that I birthed," Stewart said. "I have custody of my sister’s son. She was murdered here in Forest Hill almost 3 years ago.”
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Sam and his fellow medical students may have found that the prescription for happiness is caring for others.
“It takes a huge load off of my shoulders," Stewart said. "Having 10 kids is a struggle, but I make it happen, and I just appreciate Dayna’s Footprints for helping me out."
Community members and counselors helped select the kids who took part in the shoe drive.
This year, $29,000 has been raised to buy close to 250 shoes so far.