McKinney Rallies After Thieves Target 5-Year-Old's Chemo Fundraiser

Online fundraiser will support eight more treatments, two surgeries

After thieves targeted a 5-year-old McKinney girl's lemonade stand, the community's rallying behind her to replace the funds she was raising for her own medical bills.

Last fall, Katy was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow along her nervous system.

"It's tough when a doctor tells you your child has a brain tumor," said Katy's mom, Rebecca Drekmann.

In order to pay for chemotherapy, Drekmann, a single mom of four, said the family realized they'd have to downsize. So they planned an estate sale, which Katy was eager to help with.

"She always says I want to help make my tumor get smaller and I want to help so I can get all the medicine I need," said Drekmann.

Since the family wouldn't let her sell her toys, Katy opted for a lemonade stand.

The family believes she'd raised around $100 before it suddenly disappeared.

"She cried and she was angry. She wanted to call Batman and Wonder Woman immediately to have them rectify the situation," said Drekmann.

Instead, it was the community who stepped in.

When the family planned a re-do, teenage boys from the neighborhood came to guard Katy's stand.

A few days later, Raising Cane's helped bring even more people in by hosting a lemonade stand with all proceeds headed towards Katy's medical fund resulting in an outpouring of support to give the family so much more than they lost.

"That's been the greatest part of it. That one bad seed led to so many great seeds being planted," said Drekmann.

An online fundraiser has raised more than $8,000 to cover nine more rounds of chemotherapy and two surgeries.

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