Community raises more than $100K for girl with rare disease
10-year-old Lydia McCarty cries after learning she met a $100
By Jenna Rae
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FLORISSANT, Missouri (KMOV) — After a viral video on social media, one St. Louis girl got to live her dream of owning a bakery for the day. On top of that, customers raised enough money for her to have a once in a lifetime treatment, that increases her ability to live.
Lyla McCarty, suffers from a rare disease called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). It has affected the 10-year-old every single day.
“I have it in my leg, but it’s where it always hurts and there’s no cure for it really,” Lyla said.
There is treatment for CRPS, however the McCarty’s insurance has continued to deny paying for the treatment for months now. Heather McCarty, Lyla’s mom, said it’s impossible to pay for the treatment out of pocket.
A few weeks ago, Lyla met Charlie Rocket, a Tiktok Philanthropist who uses his following for good.
“Lyla has no idea we’re going to surprise her with her own bakery for 24 hours, and we’re gonna try and raise $100,000,” Rocket said in a Tiktok weeks ago.
That’s exactly what Rocket and his team did Sunday in Florissant. With the help of MADE. By Lia, a local bakery in Florissant, Lyla was able to take over for the day and open up her own shop. More than 5,000 St. Louisans came out to support her.
“This love is real here in St. Louis. St. Louis is different than any city I’ve ever seen, ’cause we do this in every city, but St. Louis is special,” Rocket said.
The love was felt for blocks in Old Town Florissant as people lined up to enjoy Lyla’s sweet treats. Toward the end of the day, the McCarty family was close to their goal, but hadn’t reached it yet. That’s when another local, small business owner came to the rescue. They donated $2,000 to make sure Lyla and her family met their goal.
“These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions, and community, and just compassion beyond our wildest dreams,” Derek McCarty said.
The McCarty family said Sunday restored hope to their family, something they say they haven’t felt in a long time.
“Just thank you, cause it’s amazing,” Lyla said.
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