Orlando girls open lemonade stand to help pay for dog's recovery
Two girls with big hearts come to a dog's rescue — in more ways than one
Two girls with big hearts come to a dog's rescue — in more ways than one
Two girls with big hearts come to a dog's rescue — in more ways than one
This is the story of Stevie the Golden Retriever. It begins with heartbreak. Stevie is struggling to survive.
But the story ends with kids, who have big hearts and have come to Stevie’s rescue in more ways than one.
Stevie lives in Orlando and is her family's pride and joy. Marisol Serrano, Stevie’s mom says Stevie knows when her family is feeling down, and comes to their side to offer comfort in a way only a dog can do. “She’s very smart, very obedient, and so cute," Marisol said.
But in mid-September, Stevie was hit by a motorcycle in front of her house. It happened when Marisol’s daughter came home from work. Stevie got out of the house, was near Marisol’s daughter when a motorcyclist hit Stevie and kept on going. “She called the dog, and she got up and just collapsed. And she was like, ‘Hey, hey, you just hit my dog!” Stevie had a punctured lung and fractured ribs. It was touch and go. She spent six days in the intensive care unit, but the surgery worked.
Meanwhile, back in the neighborhood, Stevie’s fan club was working on a plan. The kids put together a good old-fashioned lemonade stand. But they upped the game by posting a QR code for anyone who wanted to make a drive-by donation. Then they sealed the deal with pictures of the adorable golden retriever wearing her trademark bandannas.
Jules was the first to come up with the plan. “I felt really bad, so I wanted to help. And I told my mom about the idea, and she said it was a good idea.”
Rylee says one neighbor was a dog lover and gave $50.
“Most people just stopped by and gave money because it was Stevie," said Rylee.
On Sunday, the kids presented Marisol with the money they raised stuffed in an envelope — $403.
"When they gave me this money, and they came to the door, I just started crying," Marisol said.
And how is Stevie doing now? She's on more prescription medicine than you can count on one hand. But she's on the mend, feeling better, getting stronger every day, with a little help from her friends.