We first met Northwest Christian High School student-athlete Charlie Duffy back in May 2023.
We were following her journey to get back out on the softball field after recovering from a major surgery that involved cutting her hamstring, achilles tendon, and femur in her left leg.
Charlie was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was just two years old. By the time time she was a freshman in high school, she was a star softball player, making the Northwest Christian varsity squad. Right before her first game, she found out she would need to repeat a major surgery she had when she was seven.
But life had its own plans, and Charlie’s recovery proved much longer and harder than expected, with two more surgeries needed.
Getting back on the field seemed like a long shot, so Charlie decided to head down a different path. With the help of her family, United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona, and her faith, she is now helping others on a larger scale that reaches beyond the softball field.
Jordan Spurgeon
