LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — What started as a mission to get Maddie prosthetic eyes has become a life lesson for many.
If you listen carefully, you don't need eyes to see you're loved.
"Yes, Jesus loves me," sang Maddie. "Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so."
Looks aren't always what they seem anyway. Take for instance, the Pipe Hitters Union.
"We are a group of all military, police and firemen current and retired,"said Sgt. of Arms Donovan Moore.
The group appears tough but no amount of wind on their faces could ever feel as good as the smile on Maddie's.
"We had 76 motorcycles," said Moore.
The Pipe Hitters hosted the Seeing for Maddie Benefit Ride. It was supposed to raise $8,000 in order to purchase new prosthetic eyes for her.
"That's a lot of money, huh?" said Pipe Hitters Member Tim Folyer.
"Yeah," answered Maddie.
"You know what people did for you though?" asked Folyer. "They raised $18,000 for you. That means you're going to have money for a long time to take care of you if you need anything."
Maddie's mother is so grateful. These prosthetic eyes won't give her sight but they might give her a better quality of life. Kids aren't always nice. But again, it's not always about what you see. Sometimes our eyes mislead us.
"You look at Maddie and Maddie has been made fun of by other kids," said Moore. "You look at a motorcycle club and everybody sees a three piece patch and they assume it's bad people. Don't judge a book by its cover."
But if you do mess with Maddie, just know what you're getting yourself into.
"We've got her back," said Moore.
She's one of them now.
The Pipe Hitters have decided to make this an annual event. Some of the profits will go to Maddie, but the rest will go to another kid in need.
Maddie is expected to get her new eyes within the next month.
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