‘She could have gone anywhere, or met anybody’: St. Louis teen turns Make-A-Wish Dream into bracelet that gives back

DES PERES, Mo. (First Alert 4) -17-year-old Kat Gaylord, a St. Louis native, has been in and out of the hospital since she was 3 years old.

“I was diagnosed with a brain tumor on my motor cortex,” said Gaylord. “I was in the hospital relearning [everything]. It’s been crazy. When I came home from the hospital, I was in PT and OT for a year and a half… It’s been very difficult.”

What started as an idea in a hospital room is now set to sparkle on wrists across the country.

For her wish through Make-A-Wish Missouri and Kansas, Kat wanted to create a bracelet that wasn’t just pretty, but meaningful.

“I wanted to raise money for my surgeon, who’s been a big part of my life since I was 3 years old,” she said. “I didn’t know exactly what way to do it, but I knew I wanted it to be for him.”

K