Timberland High School Girl Scout goes for the gold

Julie Meritt, a Sophomore at Timberland High School, has recently earned the mark of the truly remarkable – the Girl Scout Gold Award.

This young change-maker demonstrated extraordinary leadership through a measurable and sustainable community service project. A limb-length discrepancy is when one leg or arm is shorter than the other. Treatment for this condition often involves lengthening surgery and intensive physical therapy.

Meritt recognized the struggles children face navigating life with this condition and the anxiety of surgery. To increase resources for patients with this condition, Meritt decided to partner with Shriners Children’s St. Louis and create a children’s book on the condition.

Meritt’s book, “Brooke’s Big Surgery,” follows a character with a leg-length discrepancy as natural feature in our community and will take steps to help protect it from pollution,” Graham said.

Future expansions will eventually connect the Dardenne Creek Blueway to three more parks in St. Peters, O’Fallon and Dardenne Prairie, with a final length of nearly 19 miles.

“It's not crystal blue (water) like in the Ozarks, but it is right in our backyard,” Graham said. “There are some pretty areas out here.”

St. Charles County plans to continue expanding the Dardenne Creek Blueway in three additional phases. Phase 3 (3.2 miles) will connect St. Peters’ Jack Gettemeyer Park to Lone Wolff Park; Phase 4 (5.6 miles) will connect the O’Fallon Sports Park to Jack Gettemeyer Park; and Phase 5 (1.3 miles) will connect Dardenne Prairie’s Bluebird Meadow Park to the O’Fallon Sports Park.

In addition, the St. Charles County Parks Department is developing plans in partnership with the city of Wentzville to create a second Blueway along Big Creek and the Cuivre River. The 12.3-mile Big Creek Blueway will connect Indian Camp Creek Park to Flatwoods Park, both of which are owned and maintained by St. Charles County.

“We’re grateful for the support of the city of St. Peters in establishing the initial phas- she goes through her first surgery. Meritt illustrates what fellow patients can expect during their treatment. Meritt’s book also provides a list of other media, including characters with disabilities and advice from fellow patients.

After completing the book, Meritt translated it to Spanish and uploaded both versions as a free ebook. Meritt then provided Shriners Children’s St. Louis with 165 English and 200 Spanish hard copies of the book. Meritt also mailed a hard copy of each to the other 17 Shriners Children’s Hospital locations, including one in Canada and one in Mexico. Finally, Meritt applied vinyl inspirational messages to 18 clinic room walls at Shriners Children’s St. Louis to encourage patients.

The Gold Award is earned by a high-schoolaged Girl Scout who has dedicated, on average, more than 80 hours to address an issue they are passionate about in a way that produces meaningful and permanent change. Whether it is on a local, national or global level, Gold Award Girl Scouts provide innovative solutions to pressing and relevant challenges. es of the Blueway, and we look forward to partnerships with the cities of O’Fallon and Dardenne Prairie,” County Executive Steve Ehlmann said. “I am proud of the effort that has been put into opening this expansion and I hope residents and visitors will take advantage of the new and growing way to enjoy the outdoors in St. Charles County.”

These remarkable young leaders, along with other Gold Award Girl Scouts, were recognized during a special ceremony on June 11.

For more information on St. Charles County Parks, visit stccparks.org or visit the St. Charles County Parks page on Facebook. For more information about how to help keep local waterways clean, visit sccmo.org/ StreamCareGuide.