A 3-year-old Green Country toddler with a rare brain disorder is on a journey to find a special companion to enhance her quality of life.
Little Kyra has already undergone 9 surgeries in her short life. Although her circumstances are tough, she continues on her journey, teaching others that we aren't defined by our obstacles.
Kyra and her mother partake in a Thanksgiving tradition, a mother teaching her eldest daughter the ways of the kitchen.
From afar, you'd never know the struggle Kyra's tiny hands face on a daily basis.
"She can't create new muscle memory," Kyra's mother, Jazz Bayliss said. "She has to think about, 'OK I have to use my core to keep standing up, I have to use my butt, I have to use my legs.'"
Kyra's mother said her daughter's condition has doctors puzzled.
"Her diagnosis doesn't exist," Bayliss said.
The unknown is terrifying for the family and doctors fear Kyra's condition could get worse.
"If the pattern holds, she's going to stay at [the age of] two," Bayliss said. "The physical development, the physical stamina and the physical strength of two."
Kyra's mother believes a service dog could greatly impact Kyra's life, serving as a companion and someone for her daughter to rely on when exhaustion sets in.
The wish was out of reach costing nearly $10,000, but Kyra's story has touched many who are willing to give, and the goal is in sight.
But for now, "We're just very thankful that she can do what she can do and we just take it one day at a time because that's all we can do."
Kyra knows shes different from other children, but her heart is the same, if not bigger. Her outlook is positive as the road ahead is full of doctor visits, surgeries, and physical therapy.
But on this Thanksgiving, it's Kyra who is giving back, showing Green Country that no matter the circumstance, there's always something to be thankful for.
If you'd like to help Kyra on her journey, you can make a donation here.
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