LAWTON, Mich. — A Lawton family is asking for the community’s help in taking care of a 2-year-old girl who has been fighting an uphill battle since birth.
Rilynn Payne was born a month before her due date in an emergency caesarian section after doctors discovered a rare genetic disorder affecting her kidneys.
Since she was a few days old, she was spent 12 hours a day on dialysis while she waits for a kidney transplant.
Rilynn is also going through chemotherapy treatments after doctors discovered cancer in her liver, putting her in need of another transplant.
Despite all the setbacks she has faced in life, her family says Rilynn continues to surprise her doctors.
“They have seen Rilynn rise above every trial,” said Heidi Keister, Rilynn’s grandma. “They have learned not to speak negative to the family because every time they say she is going to die, which has been multiple times.”
The family is holding a fundraiser to raise money for the Children's Organ Transplant Association.
“We created this Miracle Maker’s Gala so that people in our community can become miracle makers to other children,” Keister said. “So, we have auction items and the communities all around have been amazing where they just give and give and give.”
Tickets are $30 per person or $50 per couple. More information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.
