When Addie Bryan was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder at birth, doctors never thought she would be able to walk, much less run.
But now, at age 7, Addie has done just that -- and she’s raising thousands of dollars for the hospital that helped her regain her mobility by selling lemonade with her friends, Fox 4 News reported.
Addie, of Rockwall, Texas, was born with Larsen syndrome, a condition that occurs an estimated 1 in 100,000 newborns and affects bone development throughout the body. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Larsen syndrome often causes inward- and upward-turning feet, or clubfeet, and dislocations of the hips, knees and elbows. Addie was born with a clubfoot as well as dislocated hips and knees that were turned backward.
When she was five days old, Bryan received her first cast, which she wore for three years.
After receiving lifelong treatment from Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, in Dallas, she set a goal to raise $8,000 for the hospital by her 8th birthday.
“They do everything possible to make it where it doesn’t feel like you are at a hospital,” Jeff Bryan, Addie’s father, told Fox4news.com. “They take very good care of the kids, and they take very good care of the parents. It definitely makes it pretty easy while you’re there.”
Thanks to her treatment, Addie can now walk, run and play tee ball, Fox4news.com reported.
To raise money, Addie stood on a streetcorner in the sweltering Texas weather. So far, she’s raised more than $13,000.
“Me and my friends wanted to have a lemonade stand,” Addie told the news station.
After raising $60, they made a sign, which led to even more donations.
Addie is donating all of her lemonade stand sales to the hospital so doctors can help other children, like her, who are in need of medical care.
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