Growing up, Lauren was a happy, active girl, full of life and laughter. With a penchant for sports, including basketball and fast-pitch softball, and a love for music, crafts, and art, her vibrant personality shone brightly.

“Lauren was a healthy baby and child who was always super funny and happy,” Julie Ralston, Lauren’s mother, wrote to us. “At age 11 she began experiencing episodes of vomiting and vision blackouts.”

Lauren's world turned upside down when she suddenly began falling ill frequently. After multiple visits to the doctor and changing pediatricians, an MRI revealed a brain tumor.

“Within a few months she was just getting sick, getting sick, getting sick and we couldn't know why," Julie recalled.

Lauren using her adaptive stationary bike by Restorative Therapies.

The discovery of the tumor was only the beginning. Lauren was admitted to Johns Hopkins, where plans were made for an extremely delicate operation to remove the tumor. However, the night before her craniotomy surgery, Lauren suffered a catastrophic brain bleed rendering her unconscious.

“This sent Lauren into emergency surgery,” Julie told us. “The surgery was quicker than it should have been due to high amount of blood loss. The surgeon removed as much of the tumor as he could under the circumstances.

After the surgery, Lauren spent six months in the hospital and came home on her big sister Marissa’s 14th birthday.

Post-injury, Lauren's life changed drastically. She now uses a wheelchair, is non-communicative, has impaired vision and requires a feeding tube to eat. Despite these hardships, Lauren’s parent’s determination to provide the best for their daughter is evident.

“She has shown improvement over the past 3 1/2 years,” Julie told us. “She can activate her voice, track things with her eyes, smiles, laughs and even practices with different communicative devices, including eye blinks.”

Julie told us that as Lauren works on her core strength, she would benefit from a specialized stationary bike called an RT-300 made by a 2023 sponsor, of Holton’s Heroes, Restorative Therapies.

Julie believes this adaptive device offers an invaluable benefit for Lauren’s circulation, pulmonary health, and muscle spasticity. Despite insurance rejections and the daunting price tag of $30,000, Lauren’s parents remains committed to obtaining this equipment for Lauren.

Lauren rocking our Holton’s Heroes shirt in her wheelchair at home.

To help Lauren’s family afford the machine, Holton’s Heroes gifted a downpayment of $5,000. It arrive just before the new year and Lauren is already working hard with her new therapy bike!

“The leg part works great. The arm part needs some work to reach [her arms so she can] fit into them without too much pull on the shoulder,” Julie wrote to us after receiving the bike. “We have a goal to get them in it 6 months or less.”

We are only able to continue to help kids recovering from brain injuries with your personal support. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift directly to our foundation today. You can donate safely here.

Make sure to visit us on Instagram to see video of Lauren pedaling on her new therapy bike.