6-year-old with Epilepsy wants to help others like her

By Kristin Bien (kbien@wsbt.com)

Lyla Pratt serves up another glass of her lemonade to a garage sale customer. All benefits go to the Epilepsy Foundation. (WSBT photo)

NEW CARLISLE — Thousands of shoppers are heading to New Carlisle this weekend for Hometown Days, and there's a sale that's hard to pass up. It's a six-year-old entrepreneur with an old fashion lemonade stand. Lyla Pratt came up with the idea all on her own, and every penny she earns this weekend is going to a special cause — the Epilepsy Foundation.

"She has Idiopathic epilepsy which means they cannot find a cause for it, says Katie Brasseur. Katie Brasseur, Lyla's mom, says she was a normal baby until she was three. That was when she had her first seizure. You would never know by looking at her, but Lyla has some major health issues. So she is more susceptible to getting sicknesses, illnesses, bacteria in her system, she is frequently sick more. Which leads to her febrile seizures which causes problems with her development," says Brasseur.

That is why all the money earned at the garage sale this weekend will go toward treatment which in many cases is not covered by insurance. Lyla is doing her part too. She has set up a lemonade and cookie stand in the front yard. All the money she makes this weekend, will go toward the Epilepsy Foundation.

"She knows she has seizures and she asks will her brain get better sometimes. That is why she is doing the lemonade and cookie stand. She wants to donate to the Epilepsy Foundation she said, she says she wants to donate for kids with brains like hers," says Brasseur. Lyla has overcome a lot in her six years. But she has a long way to go.

"Epilepsy is dangerous and it can be deadly. In 2008 she was in postictal mode for about 24 hours. That is when she had a relearn how to potty train everything," says Brasseur. But her mom is not giving up. And neither will Lyla.

The garage sale and snack stand will continue through Sunday 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Central Time









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