By Ariana Pedraza
This month, 8-year-old Lindsey Baxter showed that it is never too early to start giving back to the community.
A student at Stowers Elementary School, Baxter started a snow cone stand from which all profits went to the Ronald McDonald House in Tampa.
The Ronald McDonald House is important to Baxter’s family as she was born with a heart condition called congenital diaphragmatic hernia, CDH, which means her heart is on the right side of her body and is flipped in the opposite direction, and it will remain that way for the rest of her life. Her family took her to the best doctors they could find in Ohio away from their home and spent the time that Baxter was in the NICU in the Ronald McDonald House.
“The Ronald McDonald House was a place to rest our heads and recharge before getting back to her bedside. They did not ask us for a penny, and we were surrounded by parents who give up a lot for their kids. Everyone there is there for their child, and regardless of who they are they all want the same thing. It was a very supportive environment,” explained Baxter’s father.
The Ronald McDonald House takes in families from all over the world, and meals are made by the communities for those staying.
Baxter’s family moved to Florida from Virginia in July, and this is the second time she has hosted a snow cone stand to raise money. Last April in Virginia, she raised $311, and in November in FishHawk she made $561. She was very excited to be able to help others, and even bought the supplies herself.
Baxter’s mother gushed, “It’s hard to come by that kind of empathy in a kid. It is great to see her be not only a great friend and daughter but also have such a great heart.”
When she is not running her snow cone stand, Baxter enjoys playing with her friends, doing math and tumbling. She plans on running another fundraiser very soon and is very grateful for all of the community support.
