A Cambridge teen who has been waiting two years for new lungs has been admitted to the intensive care unit at SickKids Hospital in Toronto.
Kayla Baker was diagnosed with cancer as a baby. The chemotherapy used to treat the cancer caused her to develop a disease called pulmonary fibrosis, which causes swelling and scarring of the alveoli (air sacs) and tissues of the lungs. She now wears an oxygen tube to keep her lungs working while she waits for a double-lung transplant.
Despite this latest setback, Kayla continues to be an advocate for organ and tissue donation. Her goal for a “Run-A-Lung” event in May is $10,000.
Kayla’s classmates at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School in Cambridge have already raised more than $9,000.
They continue to rally for her recovery.
“We have a lot of students going to visit Kayla which is keeping her spirits up,” says teacher Michael Ambeau. “We haven’t given up hope that Kayla’s miracle will happen.”
The community has also pitched in. On Friday, volunteers decorated Preston Towne Centre with green bows to show their support.
Kayla is also getting some star power to help lift her spirits. Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder, actors from the TV show “The Vampire Diaries”, are planning to visit Kayla in hospital Saturday.
