LEHI, Utah — A Lehi community stepped up over the weekend to help a friend who was diagnosed with a rare condition.
It was just a few months ago when 8-year-old Lia Peel was diagnosed with a rare condition called Stevens-Johnson’s Syndrome, which is a serious disorder of the skin and mucous membranes. But being the fighter she is, after spending days in the ICU and weeks recovering, she still brings her smile to her karate dojo.
To help Lia and her family, a Kick-A-Thon was held to raise money for their medical expenses.
“It was really unique because it gave everybody a chance to come to one purpose, which was, we’re here for you,” said Jordan Diaz, Sensai and founder of Shotokan Karate Academy.
Led by Diaz, kids and families at the karate studio hosted a “Kick-A-Thon.”
“We don’t know all of them, but we’re part of a community here and it’s just very touching to see they’d be doing this kind of work to help us and Lia,” said Julia Peel, Lia’s mom.
“With something like this, you can kind of feel alone and that support goes a long way to raise your spirits and you feel like other people are mindful of your experiences and what you’re going through,” said Lia’s dad, Nathan.
Those who participated kicked and kicked and kicked their way to relieve the burden for the Peel family.
“it was really unique to see the students capture the essence of what karate really is,” said Diaz. “It’s not just about punching or kicking – we talk about that all the time, it really is about becoming a better person and how to really fulfil and help out your community.”
A fund has also been set up to bring some relief.
All the proceeds go to help the Peel family, but more importantly, it shows them that they are loved.
“To lift somebody’s spirit, that takes a lot more and it is worth so much more, you can’t put a dollar value on that,” said Diaz.
