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| Titusville Girl Needs Fighting Disease |
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| Spinal Muscular Atrophy | |||
| Saturday, 21 March 2009 02:25 | |||
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Source: My Fox Orlando  TITUSVILLE, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - In a home where sickness has dwelled, joy and laughter prevails. Eight year old Sierra Journey Factor has lived with Spinal Muscular Atrophy for eight years. It's hard to tell, judging by her happiness, but the disease makes it hard for her to use her muscles and confines her to a wheel chair. Now, she's hoping a stem cell treatment in China will change that. "I've wanted to walk my whole life, but I don't think it'll really help with that. I think it'll help with a lot more things," she said. Sierra battles kidney and lung disease and has had near fatal bouts with pneumonia. "It's very important for me that way I get through all the pain," she said. Sierra's like many young girls. She calls herself Disney Princess Hanna Montana and spends time with her "B-F-F-L" (Best Friend For Life) Aubby Andre, which she sometimes refers to as American Idol pop star Jordin Sparks. Sierra floats around the room in her wheelchair, dancing to "Best of Both Worlds," with Aubby right behind her. "She's a close part of my life," said Aubby. "Close like a bug's ear," she adds. "She acts like my sister, and she's really nice." Sierra's disease is progressively degenerative. "If it's your kid, look at them and tell them you won't do what it takes to save their life. That's what we're trying to do," said Sierra's father, A.J. Factor. Factor says stem cell treatment will not "undo" the damage that has been done, but it could stop the disease's progression. "She may never walk, but she could live a normal length of life. She would be able to get the surgeries she needs, and it wouldn't be life-threatening," he says. "It would just correct a lot of things we don't have. Anything to lose and everything good coming from it." If you would like to help Factor, a fund-raising car wash is being held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Advance Auto Parts on Garden St. in Titusville.
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