Meet Lily, a Little Girl Moving Mountains
This is an inspiring and true story about giving back. A family, whose little seven-year-old, Lily, overcame the Leukemia that she was diagnosed with at the age of three, thanks to her devoted family and community, are once again reaching out to local people. But this time, it’s because they want to give back to kids in their community in a heartwarming, and pioneering way.
This family’s innovative vision is an indoor playground where kids with compromised immune systems can have fun and heal in safety, in their hometown of Tempe, Arizona, the US. It will be a hyper-clean space for sick children battling cancer, and other serious illnesses, as ABC15 outlines. A welcoming space where they can enjoy themselves, away from hospitals, and just be kids.
And their chosen name for this exciting, new play space? Lily’s Pad, as a touching tribute to their daughter.
Lily’s devoted Dad, Brad Taylor, spoke to Goodnet about their mission: “Children going through medical battles, as well as their families, deserve moments where they are mentally free from that journey. Lily’s Pad is being built to support the community that supported us and to become a missing piece in the holistic approach to the treatments these children receive.”
One of the touching images that Lily’s family shared with Goodnet is a photo of the chosen premises for Lily’s pad. Above the door, an uplifting sign reads “Welcome to the future home of Lily’s Pad!” And as Lily herself says in our video about their unique idea, for kids who are sick, this space will be : “A place where the kids can have fun [for free]… and have the best time!”
While still partway through their fundraising effort, the family already have the future playground mapped out, as this post reveals:
It seems that this new space will meet a pressing need for seriously ill kids. As ABC15 reports “These children spend weeks if not months confined to the home. Simple childhood pleasures like playing on a playground, going to school, or enjoying a play date with a close friend are off-limits due to the risks of infection.”
Lily’s dad remembers how bad he felt driving by a park when Lily was sick, and having to say no when Lily begged him to stop so she could play there, as azfamily.com details. Lily remembers too. But now cancer-free, and with this amazing project coming to fruition, things are looking up!
It is hoped that Lily’s Pad will become a reality sometime in 2022. As the Lily’s Pad website explains: “It is our dream to allow these children to be kids again. To climb, jump, and once again make friends with other children facing the same hardships. ”
