When Aysha was six, she received the unexpected diagnosis of Chiari Malformation, meaning some of her brain tissue was extending down into her spinal column. The doctors soon discovered she also had Syringomyelia, a disorder in which a cyst or cavity forms within the spinal cord which can expand and elongate over time, destroying it. There is no cure for Chiari Malformation, so surgery would be necessary to help her cerebral spinal fluid flow properly and hopefully resolve the cyst problem.

Aysha and Puppy went to ICU where they stayed for five difficult days. It was painful at first because they had removed the first two vertebrae in her neck, a part of her skull, and inserted a titanium plate in her head, but the surgery was a success! After six days Aysha went home, but she had to be careful not to bump her head while she played, which was okay. What she really loved to do was play with her dolls.

During the next few years, Aysha had five different surgeries and multiple other procedures, all of which brought her back to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta where she met kids with many different special healthcare needs. Aysha realized that her disability was invisible, hidden underneath her thick hair. Seeing other kids with visible disabilities, she realized they didn’t have a doll that looked like them to comfort them as she did.

Aysha, Julie, Rick, and Marsha all met for the first time on March 15, 2017, exactly seven years from the day Aysha had her surgery.

Watching her dream come true has granted Aysha a unique perspective on her challenges. If it were not for her experience with Chiari Malformation, the surgery, and all the procedures that followed, there would be no Aysha’s Friends. Now she can hardly wait for the day when she can walk into a hospital and place a Just For You! Doll that’s been personalized into the arms of the special child who's been waiting for it.