Ella and Travis Johnson
MILWAUKEE - Ella Johnson was in good spirits Saturday. The 8-year-old girl showed FOX6 News around her kingdom, surrounded by her favorite toys and even her favorite person.
What they're saying:
Those excited moments are something her father, Travis Johnson, said aren't always the case for his daughter.
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"Every day is different," he said. "Some days, she doesn't move, she just lays around and sleeps all day. Some days, she's up running throughout the house."
The differences started in October. Travis said that's when doctors diagnosed Ella with lupus cerebritis, which the National Library of Medicine describes as a rare autoimmune condition that affects connected tissue.
Ella and Travis Johnson
"They said that the lupus is attacking her brain," he said. "They said it's super rare, too, for someone that's only 8 years old to be diagnosed with this."
Travis said his Ella will battle the condition "for the rest of her life." Following a strict medical schedule has been far from easy for the single father, who has since left his job to care for his daughter.
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"She has six months worth of chemo treatment, chemo treatments that she has to go through. She actually has her third one next week," he said.
For now, Travis said he's just trying to stay strong for his family.
"My boy asked me one time, he was like, if you had a genie, and you could have wishes, what would your three wishes be," he said. "I was like, I would only need one wish, and that was for her to not be sick, because it's been hard."
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Friends have come together through different fundraisers and even started a GoFundMe online fundraiser to help the family during this difficult time.
"The community actually has done a lot for us, I don't know what I would do," he said.
In addition to the GoFundMe, Live 2 Luv Designs is selling merchandise online that supports "Ella's Support Squad." Proceeds from the sales go to the family.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed the subjects of this story.