Detroit’s Walk of Hope
LeAndrea Fisher and Sue Johnston, the co-founders of Detroit’s Walk of Hope
When two liked-minded people get together, great things can happen. That is the case of LeAndrea Fisher and Sue Johnston, two Michigan women who in 2019 decided to found Detroit’s Walk of Hope. Both women had gone through their own infertility battles and around the same time they reached out to RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association to learn more about creating a Walk of Hope in Michigan. Linked together by RESOLVE, when the two women met, there was an instant connection. They now affectionately have nicknamed themselves the Dynamic Duo.
The Detroit, Michigan Walk of Hope (WOH) is always held on the last Saturday of the month of April during National Infertility Awareness Week. It is a way to bring the infertility community together, provide support and connection with others on a similar family building journey and educate people about the fertility resources available in their areas. In addition, there is a fundraising component to the WOH. People are encouraged to form “fun”draising teams and have fun in a friendly competition to raise money for RESOLVE, which works to provide free programs, free national and local support groups, and advocacy for affordable access to care.
On “Walk Day” those impacted by infertility and others who support them on their journey meet each other and walk in solidarity for the cause. People show off their creatively designed Detroit, MI Walk of Hope t-shirts and their orange clothing to get in the spirit for the event. Once at the walk location, those in the fertility community will receive a “Why I Walk Bib” and a color-coded journey bead necklace so they can identify others who are on a similar journey (i.e. adoption, undergoing treatment, third party reproduction, childless not by choice, etc.) To steal a line from “Carousel,” you’ll never walk alone.
Because of the pandemic, for the last two years LeAndrea and Sue have held a virtual program, which was prerecorded and available to watch on the Detroit, MI Walk of Hope Facebook Group. This year’s event will be a hybrid –taking place on Saturday, April 30th—and will be both a virtual program that will be able available to be viewed from 11:00am that morning as well as an in-person meet-up at midday at the Tolan Playfield (601 Mack Avenue) in downtown Detroit. (They encourage participants to wear masks as well as WOH t-shirts and orange clothing). It being spring in Michigan, the weather could go either way so it’s a rain or shine event. After you register for the event, you can also generate your own WOH teams and/or join a team. If you form a team of at least five people, each team member will be given a 2022 Walk of Hope t-shirt. We look forward to seeing you there virtually, in person or both.
--Michigan Fertility Alliance