7-Year-Old Sells Lemonade At Single Mom’s Bakery To Fund Her Own Brain Surgeries
It's heartbreaking whenever you hear of someone suffering from a disease, let alone when it's a child. For this 7-year-old, surgery is just a step to recovery. She understands how costly it is, but she is full of hope that she will make it on the other side. To get her journey started, she started selling lemonade at her mom's bakery.
Meet The 7-Year-Old Fighter
The 7-year-old, who would only be in first grade, started a little lemonade stand at her mom's bakery in Alabama. The drink was selling like crazy and started making headlines.
The newest addition to the bakery's menu wasn't just special because it tasted good, but because it was a 7-year-old's way of funding her own upcoming brain surgeries.
When Life Gave Her Lemons, Liza Sold Lemonade At Her Mom's Family Bakery
The Savage bakery first opened in 1939 and has been owned and operated by the Scott family since 1978.
A scroll through their Instagram will get your mouth watering. They sell all kinds of cookies, pies, and warm treats.
Liza Suffers From A Rare Birth Defect
The condition came as a shock to the family, who had no idea until recently when Liza started suffering from seizures.
It turns Liza was born with a rare congenital birth defect. This hinders her brain development but hadn't it shown itself till now.
It's Her "Very Special Brain"
It took a lot of extensive testing before Liza and her mom, Elizabeth, learned that Liza had an "extra special brain."
In more scientific terms, her condition means that she has three cerebral malformations. What requires surgery is probably a cleft in the right side of her brain.
Her Doctors Say That Her Case Is Severe
Unfortunately for the family, doctors told them that the condition requires "immediate attention."
This is because even in these rare malformations, doctors usually only find one. But in Liza's case, they found three malformations.
If Left Untreated, It Could Be Fatal
The risks of leaving the condition untreated could lead Liza to a life-threatening stroke. It could also cause potential brain bleeds, or worse.
Doctors hope the surgeries will lower the risks, if not completely prevent it.
She's On Her Way To A Hopeful Recovery
Liza and her mom feel hopeful about a shot to recovery. They recently traveled to start off a series of surgeries at Boston Children's Hospital.
It's just Liza and her mom traveling. They're both trying to keep each other uplifted despite the circumstances.
Surgeries Like This Are Very Costly, Which Adds More Stress
If the stress wasn't enough, the cost of the surgeries makes it all harder. Elizabeth is a single mother who supports both her children, so she didn't exactly budget for this.
Plus, she had to buy additional insurance, travel, and hotel stays. This all added up $10,000 before the surgery had even happened.
Even With Hope, The Fear Of The Worst Gets To Both Liza And Her Mother
While they're hopeful most days, they can't help but feel the stress on others.
"Liza had a great afternoon yesterday, though it was encapsulated by moments of sadness, frustration, anger, and emotional distress. There is no fooling Liza in anything in life, and while she may not fully understand the magnitude of it all, she does feel the stress, the heartache, and the struggle," writes Elizabeth on Facebook.
Support From The Community
Liza's community has been trying to show their support. Not only have they been buying Liza's lemonade, but also offering her gifts and messages to keep her hopeful.
They're doing their best to help Liza still feel like a kid.
Liza Has Many People Rooting For Her
The support didn't just extend to words. Elizabeth started a fund to help cover the costs in addition to the lemonade sales.
Liza's Mighty Cause campaign has also raised nearly $400,000, even though the initial goal was only $75,000.
The First Surgery Was Tough, But It Went Well
Liza already went through the first surgery and is doing her best to recover, but it hasn't been easy.
"She was hypersensitive to touch, light, and so much more. The touch of a blanket hurt her face to the touch, the lights forced her to bury her face in search of complete darkness, tears streaming down her face while she cried out in pain, throwing heating packs across the room in frustration and anger. I've never felt more helpless as a mom in my life."
For Now, We Raise A Glass Of Lemonade
What's keeping both Liza and her mom afloat right now is the positivity and kindness from those around them, so her mom leaves us with this encouraging message:
"So raise your glass of lemonade high—'cause this little warrior girl is adding a little more zest to life each and every day!"
