Cherie Boyd was raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her mother and two siblings. In 1993 Cherie relocated to Atlanta, Georgia.
In 1997, Cherie’s high school sweetheart Steve Boyd proposed, and they were married in 1998. That same year, their lives would never be the same! They had their first child named "Chance" Chance weighed a mere 2 pounds 1oz. You could hold him in the palm of your hand. Cherie and Steve knew their lives would take a dramatic change. Chance would later be diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 11 months. Cherie became a full-time stay-at-home mom. She was introduced to all types of doctors and specialist: Eye Doctors, P.T., O.T., Speech pathologist and a host of other people to provide early intervention for Chance.
In May 2000 Cherie and Steve had their 2nd child who was diagnosed with ADHD in 2006. In September 2001, they had a beautiful baby girl. Each of their children had medical concerns which would become Cherie's passion and purpose.
In March 2003, Chance was given the opportunity to participate in state-of-the-art 28-day intensive therapy program at Euromed Rehabilitation Center in Mielno, Poland. While in pursuit of raising money needed to cover the trip and the treatment, (which are not covered by insurance companies), his family, friends and community began the long and challenging journey of raising funds to cover the treatment. Thanks to the help of generous contributions Chance Boyd traveled to Mielno, Poland to receive treatment from Euromed Rehabilitation Center. His treatment was a success, and he came back walking up to 10 steps independently without assistance.
The Second Chance Fund was inspired by Chance Boyd. They began their crusade in 2003, they officially became a non-profit project of the National Heritage Foundation on October 27. 2003 the same year to provide financial resources to help low to middle-income families acquire non-traditional medical treatments and techniques being offered worldwide but not covered by most insurance companies. Today the SCF has impacted the community by providing inclusion programs in education, creative expressions (through art, dance, media and music) social enrichment and community service projects. The SCF goal is to treat young adults with disabilities one at a time. Our mission and passion are to provide diverse programs, projects and bring media awareness to the mainstream.
Hobbies: Cherie is a member of the Rehoboth Baptist Church in Dekalb, GA. She is active in the community (Parent support for persons with Disabilities), She enjoys running, and being creative.
Educational Goals: Cherie is a graduate of Gwinnett Technical College Commercial Photography program with an associate in applied science and certificate in Digital Imaging. Currently attending Georgia State University in their BA Interdisciplinary BIS program (Major: Media Entrepreneurship).