Meet Mali

Meet our newest hero, Mali! 9-year-old Mali is a very special hero and you'll quickly understand why when you read her story. Let's start with her big, beautiful smile—Joy is literally her middle name. Mali wholly and unabashedly chooses joy every single day, despite all that she’s been through.

Her joy is big, bold, and positively infectious.

We were thrilled to meet Mali for the first time ever at the Lions vs Dallas game—the game Aidan dedicated to her! He wrote her mantra on his water jug and carried it with him into the game: Fight with JOY!

Mali's Story:

Choosing joy in hardship is not denial; it’s warfare.
It declares: “My circumstances don’t define me—God does.”

Mali Joy spent the first 8 years of her life in an orphanage on the other side of the world.

When Mali was around 2 months old, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. This created many challenges for Mali as she grew and was not able to get all of the treatment and medical care that she needed. Because of this she was not able to do all of the things that the other children would do, like school and many activities and was often separated from the children to get special care. None of these things stopped Mali—she is a fighter! And she always did it with a giant bright smile!

The first year and a half at home with her family was not easy, there were many emotional and physical struggles. But she has grown so much! Within the first year she endured so much including a very difficult surgery on both of her legs in April of 2025 where she and her mom spent 5 weeks in the hospital for healing & intense therapies. This has helped straighten her legs and she has grown stronger and taller.

She is now in school and loves being with her peers. She goes to therapies multiple times a week and works very hard! She is currently working toward being able to walk with forearm crutches.  She is still working on speech therapy and loves to talk to anyone who will talk to her! She LOVES to joke and laugh! Her laugh is contagious!

Although Mali has been through so much physically and emotionally for such a young girl, she continues to fight and she fights with JOY! 

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Mali is joy incarnate and we are so happy to have met her. She teaches us that although life can through can look incredibly scary and uncertain, a little bit of joy goes a long way.

Cheering you on, Mali!

Love Always,

Team Hutch