WENTZVILLE, Mo. (KTVI) — With Missourians beating the September summer heat, a neighborhood in Wentzville is serving up iced pink lemonade.
It’s all for a cause surrounding a 12-year-old girl named Ella Schafluetzel. Those who know Ella describe her as kind, funny and resilient.
She was born at just 27 weeks and later was diagnosed with periventricular leukomalacia and faced other medical challenges.
Despite receiving extensive medical care at such a young age, Ella did not allow these forms of adversity to change her.
Instead, she made pink lemonade and is serving up smiles—it’s all in response to a life-changing stem cell treatment that can change her future.
“Right before my son was born, we learned about cord blood for siblings at Duke, and they were doing transfusions for siblings with their sibling cord blood to possibly help patients with cerebral palsy regain some motor skills,” said Ashley Schafluetzel, Ella’s mother. “They were still it’s still in the very early study phases—that was nine years ago.”
The family banked Ella’s brother, Jake’s, cord blood. They waited for results, but the news delivered to them was devastating.
Although Ella and Jake are siblings, the two were not a match.
“We were just kind of left hanging because we didn’t know what to do,” Ashley said. “We have my son’s cord blood. We have Ella, who’s kind of lingering in this study that we want her to be a part of.”
The Schafluetzel family held onto hope, and in July, they received a surprising email from Duke regarding the university’s sibling study and how it was opening up for patients within the database. The university asked Ashley if her family was interested in participating in the study.
“I didn’t even hesitate,” Ashley said. “I filled out the form.”
And in September, the Schafluetzel family learned that there was a match for Ella.
“I just sat in my car and cried, because it was like we had another chance for (Ella), and I want to give her the world,” Ashley said. “I want her to have everything, just like any parent. I sat in my car and I just cried, and I gathered myself, and I’m, like, okay, ‘Don’t get worked up.’ You’ve got a lot of work to do.”
And that work surrounds getting 12-year-old Ella to Duke. To help with the costs, the family hosted a pink lemonade stand.
“At first, I was a little nervous,” Ella said when hearing about the stem cell treatment. “But now, I feel excited about it—it’s like a new chapter.”
Family, friends and the community are also rallying behind Ella through her Pink Lemonade fundraiser to get her one step closer to gaining her independence. Wentzville Police even showed up for the cause.
Graham Chilton was on the front lines, serving up ice-cold lemonade with his best friend, Ella. Chilton told FOX 2 that he was happy to see the community’s support.
“Everybody loves Ella,” Chilton said. “She’s a really good friend to everyone; she’s never down or negative. She’s always positive.”
Ashley says that because the treatment at Duke is still a study, insurance is unable to cover Ella’s needs, which include physical therapy and possible medical equipment. But despite the costs, Ella remains optimistic about meeting her goals—and that applies to getting to Duke.
“What kindness means, it’s like, even if you donate quarters, it makes me so happy to know that I am almost there,” Ella told Nexstar’s FOX 2. “Because a little can change the world, and it makes me so happy.”
For those who like to donate and support Ella and her stem cell journey to Duke, visit her GoFundMe here.
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