Changing Lives in Morocco: Clubbed Feet and Education for Girls

Changing Lives in Morocco: Clubbed Feet and Education for Girls

with Pier Boutin, M.D., author and her daughter Soumya Boutin, founder Soumya’s Journey non-profit

Wednesday, April 26, 2023
at 7 p.m. EST

Hybrid: In-person at Berkshire Community College and also via Zoom
Free & open to all

High in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the chance encounter of an orthopedic surgeon and an impish boy clad in bright pink rubber boots changes both their lives…

Dr. Pier Boutin responded to the call for orthopaedic surgeons after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Leading the first surgical team to arrive in Port-au-Prince, she witnessed devastating trauma and unimaginable suffering. To distract from the haunting memories, she escaped to Morocco where she came upon a three-year old boy in the Atlas Mountains stumbling around on deformed feet.

Walking is vital for survival in these remote mountains. With untreated clubfeet, this child faced a dismal future. Despite his struggle to walk, he giggled and smiled. His magnetic charm captivated her. She could not walk away.

His needs eclipsed her own growing despondence after the trauma of Haiti. She thought, “If he can smile despite his disability, why can’t I?”

This chance encounter would permeate many lives for years to come.

Dr. Boutin’s compassion and determination overcame all obstacles to bring this child, Little Mo, to the United States to treat his disability.

In the process, she changed his life–but he also changed hers.

Join Dr. Boutin and Soumya, Mo's sister, as they share their story, in intergenerational conversation.

The Lenox Bookstore will be onsite to offer books for purchase and signing after the talk. If you are joining online, the book is also available on Amazon.

Dr. Boutin is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with over twenty-five years of experience. She obtained a fellowship in total joint replacement and a specialization in sports medicine at the University of Florida. Her areas of expertise include arthritis, sports injuries, fractures, osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms. She strives to promote health and vitality, incorporating conventional medicine while offering more progressive options in the treatment of orthopedic conditions. She lives with her family in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. Find out more at PierBoutin.com.

My name is Soumya and Little Mo is my brother.

In my village in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, few girls are allowed to go to school beyond 7th grade. In 2017, my life took an unexpected turn. Pier offered to bring me to the United States to continue my education. I am about to graduate from Emma Willard School and will start college in the fall. Learn about my exciting journey and foundation. www.Soumyasjourney.org

Proceeds from book sales go towards Soumya’s Journey, a non-profit organization (501C3) to build a school for girls in the Atlas Mountains.