Makai Lloren, only 13-years-old, was tragically injured earlier this year at a local trampoline arena. The young athlete suffered a broken neck after a flip attempt.
The injuries to his C6 and C7 vertebrae have caused paralysis from the waist down. After the tragic news, the Clovis community and abroad rallied together to help lift Lloren’s spirits. Among them, the Buchanan Bears wrestling team and now, Dr. Jennifer Henrique’s Wellness Center.
“I always try and support people that I care about and when I heard Jen’s son was hurt in the trampoline accident, I thought it would be a good cause to do a fundraiser for him and his family,” Dr. Jen said.
On Sunday March 31 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Dr. Jen and her highly-trained staff of massage experts, along with volunteer massage therapists will be giving free massages to those that attend the fundraiser, based on availability.
Those who plan on going to her Wellness Center on 200 West Bullard Ave, Suite E-4, will have to donate a minimum of $1 per minute of the massage, all proceeds go directly to Lloren and his family.
Dr. Jen is offering a 30 minute and a full-hour session, along with sessions in massage chairs that last as long as 20 minutes. The sessions also include couple massages if interested.
The event will also have Kona Shaved Ice, Dutch Bros, along with cheerleaders from Lloren’s school. Incredibly, Dr. Jen and Dutch Bros have teamed up to give part of coffee brewers’ proceeds directly to Lloren and his family as well.
With an empty lot, the event will take place outside in the sunshine, maximizing the number of massages given. With a goal of $10,000 and the help from businesses across the community, including Maya Cinemas – who is running the fundraiser information on their big screens daily – to ESPN radio, Dr. Jen is sure to achieve that goal.
“I’m optimistic that we will reach our goal. We are getting a lot of support from people across the community and even if people don’t come out for a massage, we have people donating to Lloren and his family,” Dr. Jen explained. “The data shows the average cost for someone in his situation the first year is around $500,000 and after that annually is about $70,000. We just want to make a dent in that.”
Dr. Jen’s willingness to help the Lloren family is rooted in not only in her relationship with his mother, but also her own experience with tragedy.
Years ago, her mother was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer. Although diagnosed at stage four, her mother attributed her healing to not only the care and prayers of her family, but the community as a whole that took it upon themselves to reach out to her during her time of need.
“I know first-hand what it’s like to be in the middle of an extremely devastating and challenging experience and having support from that many people is huge. Part of it was her friends and fans were there to support her.
“From her and my personal experience, they had fundraisers for her at APCAL and they did a GoFundMe page and raised $10,000,” Dr. Jen said. There is something very healing about people coming together, despite the monetary aspect of it. I want to raise emotional and spiritual support.”
Along with the expert massages and amenities offered, patrons will have chances to win a plethora of prizes in the $20 raffle. With all the proceeds heading towards the Lloren family, it’s a win-win for everyone.
Some of the prizes include gift cards, movie tickets, goodie bags, a free exercise and climbing class from Metal Mark Rock Climbing and even a manicure-pedicure combo from Salon Fleur De Lis in Clovis.
In the name of a worthy cause, for a worthy recipient, the community of Clovis has a chance to give back to one of their own. With a helping hand, Lloren and his family won’t have to fight alone.
A GoFundMe has been set-up for Makai, if you would like to donate click here.