CEDARBURG, Wis. — A Cedarburg high schooler is on the road to recovery after a successful procedure Monday to stop the frequent seizures she has experienced for more than three years — and a community has rallied to support her along the way.
Family friends organized a GoFundMe, shared with TMJ4 by the school district, that raised $20,000 for the family of 15-year-old Sophia Ransdell.
Neighbors at The Woods, a senior living community in Greenfield where Sophia's mother is the executive director, also took up a collection to help.
TMJ4 met up with Janet Ransdell, Sophia's mother, on Friday. Janet serves as executive director of The Woods and was leading seniors in a yoga session days before her daughter's surgery.
"The smaller of the two lesions is where those seizures are originating from, and their recommended course of action would be to do a laser ablation," Janet Ransdell said.
Janet Ransdell described the toll of the past several years, saying she spends roughly two hours a day on the phone managing her daughter's care.
"I'm on the phone probably two hours a day making appointments, following up with doctors," she said.
For TJ Schmidt, a neighbor at The Woods, helping the family was not a question.
"It was one of our family needing help. So everybody here decided to take up a contribution and help her in any way that we can," Schmidt said.
Janet Ransdell said the outpouring of support left her overwhelmed with gratitude, both for the community's generosity and for what it showed her daughter.
"Just how grateful I am for everyone, and for the prayers and for the love, and for being able to anticipate my needs before I can even say anything. And just to show Sophia that she is so loved and treasured," she said.
Janet Ransdell described her daughter as a gifted artist and musician who loves the outdoors.
"She is an amazing human," Janet Randell. "She is a bright light to anyone that meets her."
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