Read our story in text
Our Story
Our story starts with Foxx.
And with a promise to change the world for him.
“I would not change you for the world, but I will change the world for you.” — Amy Wright
Where our story began
Foxx was born with Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome. During the early months of 2017, our family spent four months at Riley Children’s Hospital while Foxx fought for his life. There were two nights from that time that I remember especially well—two nights when we came frighteningly close to losing him.
Children’s hospitals do a remarkable job of brightening the hallways and offering engaging activities, but the truth is, they are still cold, dry, noisy battlefields where families fight and pray for their most cherished members.
We will forever be grateful for the exceptional care provided by Riley, and we are equally grateful to have moved beyond those difficult times.
Then came the garden
After four months in a hospital room, the longing to be outdoors continued to stir within us. Foxx’s immune system was compromised, so we essentially quarantined as a family for several months. We planted a flower garden. Foxx and his sister, Reeslin, helped. We watched things grow, and eventually our garden was filled with blooms. Then we started giving them away.
We had a flower farm
That small garden grew into something more—a flower farm right here in Lafayette. We grew rows of blooms, learned from every season, and filled our home, our hearts, and our community with flowers. What started as therapy for our family became a purpose for our lives.
And something happened
A handful of flowers could completely change someone’s day.
We gave flowers to the heroes at Riley. Their emotional reactions to receiving flowers from Foxx were overwhelming. We gave flowers to teachers and others in our community, then kept sharing blooms with everyday heroes who make a difference. With each bouquet, we saw joy, connection, and the simple act of completely changing someone’s day.
In that moment, a calling was born. I knew I wanted to use flowers as a way to change the world for my son.
What if flowers could do more?
I imagined a place where Foxx could grow up surrounded by people, purpose, and work that mattered—a business that could do good simply by doing what it does every day. A way to use something as beautiful as flowers to build the kind of world we wanted for our son.
That idea became 21 Petals Florist and Flower Market: a local Lafayette florist serving Lafayette and West Lafayette, alongside SoBro Flower Co. by 21 Petals in Indianapolis.