Proceeds from the Lava Liv bracelet will fund her $350,000 procedure.
A 14-year-old Indiana girl in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant is designing and selling bracelets to pay for the procedure that can save her life.
Olivia Stoy, of Angola, is battling T-Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, a cancer that will kill her if she does not receive a bone marrow transplant.
Her brother was determined to be a match, and happily agreed to be the donor, but Olivia’s troubles began when the insurance company declined coverage for the $900,000 procedure.
Her family worked with doctors at the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, who agreed to bill her only $350,000 for the procedure, provided they come up the money in full before the July appointment date.
When Olivia decided to give fundraising a shot, local jewelry designer Emily Bryan of Emily Kai reached out, and suggested they work together to create a bracelet, the proceeds of which can go toward her medical bills.
"Olivia’s a very special girl," Bryan told WANE. "She’s very sensible, very strong. She has always maintained a smile on her face and it was really fun to see her excitement in designing."
Olivia explained that the bracelet they named Lava Liv — made of mainly lava beads with some coral and turquoise — is representative of her journey.
The hint of her favorite colors are meant to “make you feel happy” and the lava beads are good for diffusing essential oils throughout the day – something Olivia uses to ease her headaches resulting from chemotherapy treatments, according to her website.
The beads are tied together with a gold band, representing childhood cancer.
"When you showed me that first picture, I was so excited," Olivia told Bryan in a video promoting the bracelet. "I hope that everyone who gets a bracelet enjoys it and feels strong and confident while wearing it."
And while the amount she needs to pay off her hospital bill is daunting, Olivia said she is hopeful they will reach their goal.
"I know that we’ll reach it," Olivia told WANE. “I’m so thankful. I’m looking forward to being more active and getting back to the life that I had."
To support Olivia's medical bills, visit her GoFundMe page.
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