In the fall of 2019, 15-month-old Lyla Johnson of Rapid City was clearly not feeling well. Her mom, Mikayla, brought her to Urgent Care with what she thought was an ear infection. She had no idea how drastically their lives were about to change.
The nurse practitioner noticed Lyla’s belly seemed distended and sent the toddler to the emergency room. Scans revealed a tumor on both kidneys and a spot on one of her lungs. She was airlifted to a hospital and began aggressive cancer treatment within hours.
The chemotherapy lasted nine difficult months, and it was hard on her small body. Lyla regressed from walking to crawling. Her right kidney was removed when it didn’t respond to cancer treatment. Two months into her chemo, LifeScape began helping her fight for her strength and function through specialized pediatric therapies.
You can help kids like Lyla fight back, too. A year-end gift to LifeScape will provide help to children and adults needing the hope and expertise we offer. As a non-profit, we are grateful for the partnership of First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard, which is matching all year-end gifts. This will double your gift to ensure people with disabilities get the support they need!
Chemotherapy saved Lyla’s life, but it left her with chronic kidney disease, seizures, neuropathy in her hands and feet, cyclic vomiting syndrome, food sensitivities, severe constipation, and high blood pressure.
Now six, Lyla’s physical therapists continue to work on her strength, balance, and stamina. They helped her walk again. She is learning to use stairs and playground equipment to avoid falling. Her physical therapist worked with doctors to determine that Lyla needed surgical intervention for the nerve damage to her colon. Post-surgery, they are using biofeedback to retrain her bowel and bladder muscles.
Lyla’s neuropathy is being treated by LifeScape’s occupational therapists. They are helping build her hand-strength for writing, eating, and dressing. They are working on her social skills. Her occupational therapists also provide feeding therapy to increase her nutritional intake. “She had mouth sores while getting chemo, so eating was painful,” says Mikayla. “A lot of food still tastes metallic to her.”
Lyla is fighting back to a normal life with the help of LifeScape. We hope you’ll help, too, by making a gift to ensure we can help others with disabilities. With the dollar-for-dollar match of First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard, your gift doubles in impact. If you join our Sustainer Club with a gift of at least $15 a month, that gift will ALSO double, all year long!
“LifeScape has become like family to us,” says Mikayla. “We are really grateful for everything they’ve done to help us. Lyla wouldn’t be anywhere near where she is without LifeScape.”
LifeScape provides hope and help when families are navigating the unknown of developmental disabilities, accident, or illness. Any gift you make to LifeScape through the end of this year will be matched to double your impact. Thank you, and best wishes for a happy holiday season!
Please make a gift today to help kids like Lyla! https://www.lifescapesd.org/donate
