The Children’s Christmas Parade will take place, Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, in Midtown. The parade route is a mile down Peachtree Street, beginning at 16th Street and ending at 5th Street. For more information, visit www.choa.org/parade.
It’s hard to imagine how anything good could come from the burns that Tara Newton suffered when inebriated partiers shot off high powered and illegal fireworks on the beach where she was celebrating the Fourth of July in 2005. Today, Tara and her husband Brian are the adoptive parents of six-year-old Luci, who sustained massive burns on her head in China when she was a baby. The staff of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has treated Luci for several procedures and has chosen her as the “Face of the Parade” for this year’s Children’s Christmas Parade on Saturday. The Newton family, including Luci’s brother Mac, 4, will ride in a horse-drawn carriage. “I told her on that day she will be the ‘Princess of Atlanta,’ ” Newton said. “That a princess has to be kind and strong and tough, have a generous heart and be a good friend.”
Q: Can you describe Luci for us?
A: She is a total girly girl who loves all things pink, purple, sparkly — and with ruffles. Throw in some puppies and ponies and you are good to go.
Q: How did you come to adopt her?
A: I personally had always wanted to adopt. After being badly burned myself and, subsequently working with burned children, I had great love and admiration for these tough little soldiers. I was just scrolling through adoption information on rainbowkids.com. When Luci’s face popped up, I felt like all of my “life” questions had been answered all at once.
Q: How badly were you burned?
A: A firework shot across the sand from about 50 yards away and went straight into my chest, then continued to explode over and over. My hair was on fire, the front of my shirt burned away. The side of my face, neck, right ear, lower arms and hands were all burned.
Q: How did Luci get burned?
A: Short of actually finding her birth family, we will never know. Knowing how most living quarters are set up in China, I could see how a pot of noodles or boiling soup could have tipped over on a baby sitting at the feet of their mother cooking dinner. I know her parents loved her – and I tell Luci that. If they had not left her at the orphanage, she would have died of infection.
Q: Do people comment on her looks?
A: We mostly encounter stares from other kids. Childhood curiosity is normal and I make sure Luci knows that. If a child can’t stop staring, I will ask them if they have any questions. They usually just want to know if she is hurt. There have been a few time where kids have been openly and blatantly mean to her, called her a zombie or a monster.
Q: How does Luci handle all of that?
A: Recently, she has expressed worry about going to new places asking, “What if they are scared of my face?” I tell her that mostly people look at her because they care.
Q: How is your son with Luci?
A: They are close enough in age to enjoy a lot of the same things and they play together more than most brother/sister combos I know. I love seeing how close they are and how they “get it.”
Q: What medical treatment lies ahead for Luci?
A: Probably another set of skin expanders for her scalp to move her hairline up. The biggie that scares me is the reconstructive surgery they will do on her eye/nose area. I feel like we have to walk a fine line because she looks so beautiful and I don’t want her to ever feel like we want her to change.
Q: Is Luci excited about being in the Christmas parade?
A: A sweet friend gave her a big, beautiful sparkly dress and she is counting the days to prance around in that thing.
Q: What has Luci brought to your family?
A: She is the glue. We found each other and now we move forward. What counts is what is in front of us.
The Sunday Conversation is edited for length and clarity. Writer Ann Hardie can be reached by email at ann.hardie@ymail.com.
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