Heart and Sole

China adoptee and heart patient designs a Nike shoe:

Shelby's Nike Free Run+ 2 DB Women's Shoe has plenty of heart. That's because it comes from Shelby Lee, a 12 year old diagnosed with heart disease. After five surgeries to fix her heart, Shelby is now able to run, making this Nike Free Run+ a perfect tribute to her life story.

* * *

The sockliner of Shelby's shoe features a hand-drawn map, tracing her journey from an orphanage in China to her home in Oregon. Vibrant colors pop with her inspiring drawings along the lightweight midsole, and the turquoise upper reminds her of the sky. A broken heart with the word "China" is featured on the tongue of the left shoe, and a whole heart with "U.S.A." is on the tongue of the right shoe. Shelby added this design element to show that her broken heart has been fixed.

* * *

Doernbecher Children's Hospital has been helping heal children and families in the Oregon and Washington area since 1926. It's a national leader in research and education and offers a wide range of comprehensive pediatric care. The Doernbecher Freestyle program, a partnership between Nike and Doernbecher, allows a group of special patients who have triumphed over serious illnesses to design authentic Nike shoes.

Click here to see it!