Canton girl nicknames kidney after mom
CANTON, Ga. -- March 28 is Lilly Grace's birthday, and it's all made possible by Millie, the nickname she gave her kidney.
Lilly Grace and 6-year-old sister Maggie both have a rare genetic disease called Cystinosis. Their mom pulled out a pile of paperwork to try to explain it.
"We didn't know what it was before Lilly Grace was diagnosed. Most doctors don't. We have to explain it to them," Ashley Haynes said.
The sisters are used to explaining it to other kids.
"I sort of just tell them I have a disease that makes me be sort of different," Lilly Grace said.
"My kidney is worse than anybody else and I have to take lots of medicine," Maggie adds.
It means the lunch boxes that are color coordinated with their backpacks are really medical kits. They have multiple prescriptions they have to take every six or 12 hours.