Leo Gillick
In an attempt to get an experimental treatment for Cerebral Palsy, a 12-year-old is selling lemonade to raise the money to perhaps walk for the first time.
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Stem Cell treatment for cerebral palsy is still something that is being researched, and in most countries, it comes with a cost. The process is experimental and rarely funded by the state. So, for someone like 12-year-old Ella Schafluetzel of Wentzville, Missouri, it’s up to her and her family to raise the cash.
By Any Means: Ella has been in a wheelchair since Kindergarten due to her cerebral palsy. But, despite her disability, she has never given up hope of one day walking. She has undergone multiple procedures and surgeries growing up, but never let them deter her from pursuing her dream.
- “She’s had a spinal surgery, a hip surgery, another hip surgery where (doctors) actually worked on her hips to correct her hip dysplasia. She spends a lot of time in therapy,” her mother told KSDK. “To actually (walk) … I’ve been trying to accomplish it for a long time, so it just makes me really happy,” Ella added.
Pricey Procedure
The stem cell research that could enable Ella to walk is expensive, and she will be using the money she raises from her lemonade stand to pay for it. With the money she makes, along with other donations, she hopes to start the first of what could be multiple treatments.
- “Just for the procedure alone, it’s $15,000,” her mother said. “You can get more than one, so our hope is to get more than one if she were to need it, then be able to get her the best therapies afterwards as well.”
A Community Effort: The local neighborhood didn’t let Ella go it alone. Her lemonade stand drew some attention, and others have stepped in to help her raise money for the treatment that might allow her to walk.
- A local barber shop has helped her host her lemonade stand. They want to be a part of her journey to independence.
- “They’re helping me get enough money so I can get a stem cell transplant, which could help me walk in three to six months.”
They have also set up a GoFundMe to draw in some extra cash towards her treatments.
