Help Lily Take Her Next Steps Without Pain
Lily is six years old. She dances — in the kitchen, in the driveway, in the aisle at the grocery store — and she makes little videos for her family, complete with directing notes for whoever’s holding the camera. Her golden retriever Skye is her best friend and most patient co-star. She loves her mom and dad fiercely. Her older brothers and sister she has decided to tolerate, which they’ll tell you is its own kind of love.
She’s also spent too much of this year hurting.
Lily has been diagnosed with tethered cord syndrome. Her spinal cord is anchored in place instead of moving freely, and as she grows, it stretches. Day to day, that means pain in her legs. [Add one true, specific moment here — asking to be carried on a walk she used to run, waking up crying, sitting out a dance she’d normally lead. This is the line people remember.] It’s a hard thing to explain to a six-year-old, and harder to watch.
The good news is that it’s fixable. Lily needs a tethered cord release, where a neurosurgeon frees her spinal cord and relieves the tension causing the pain. Her surgery is scheduled for [date] at [hospital] with [surgeon or team].
The hard part is what surrounds it. Even with insurance, the costs add up fast — and they don’t stop at the hospital doors.
Our goal is $10,000. Here’s roughly where it goes:
• $4,000 — deductible and out-of-pocket maximum for the surgery
• $2,500 — lost wages during the weeks one of us needs to be home with her
• $1,500 — travel and lodging near the hospital
• $1,200 — physical therapy and follow-up visits
• $800 — medications, a brace, and equipment for her recovery at home
Anything raised beyond our goal goes straight into Lily’s follow-up care.
Asking for help isn’t something we’re comfortable with. But we’d rather ask than have Lily wait.
If you’re able to give, thank you — truly. If you can’t, sharing this with someone who might is just as meaningful. And if you know Lily, send her a message. She’ll want to read every one, probably out loud, probably to Skye.
