Fundraiser will help trip happen for Lake Villa girl

This is the day that Tami Doyle knew would eventually come.

When her daughter, Taylor Granitz, underwent surgery last December to treat cysts on her brain, doctors told her there were more cysts they could not treat, and that Taylor would need to go back to surgery.

The Lake Villa family is now awaiting consultations with doctors to find out exactly when that surgery will take place.

Meanwhile, Taylor and her family enjoy some positives.

Thanks to Make-A-Wish, Taylor looks forward to celebrating her 16th birthday in Paris and London.

And thanks to their church, the family will receive financial support through a fund-raiser this Saturday.

Last December, Taylor traveled to Arizona to undergo surgery by Dr. Robert Spetzler to remove 12 or more cysts on her brain stem.

While doctors found cysts that there were unable to open and drain, Taylor's body became weakened due to a drug reaction and was told to go back home.

Since the surgery, Doyle said a follow-up MRI also showed that a couple of the cysts that were drained filled back up again.

Doyle said it is disappointing.

"Doctors told us Taylor is not an easy case. There is no easy solution to Taylor's case. There is always a chance they can refill back up," she said.

Some the physical problems Taylor's condition caused have returned.

After surgery, she would have tremors only in her smallest and ring fingers. Now tremors move from her hand up the arm, Doyle said. The headaches and fatigue and tremors in her right leg also have returned.

"They've come back but not nearly to the extent before surgery," she said.

Taylor has had to hold back on some activities. While she passed her driving class and has her permit, Doyle said she can not get her license because of the risk from the tremors. She also has to hold back from sports.

"It is disheartening to see the symptoms come back and the cysts fill back up," Doyle said.

"But it also is good to know there is another direction we can try to take."

In the second surgery, doctors plan to cut a half-inch hairline incision and travel through her ventricles to reach the cysts they could not reach before.

Doyle said they await MRI results taken at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee to be sent to Arizona to learn more.

Through it all, Taylor remains positive. She has earned all As and Bs on her recent report card and enjoyed her first sleepover with friends, not worried she would fall asleep first.

"She still smiles. She tries to make the best of the day," Doyle said.

One thing that keeps Taylor happy came after two people from the Make-A-Wish Foundation came to their home last January. The Make-A-Wish folks told Taylor that she'd be traveling to Paris and London for her 16th birthday next month.

Doyle said Taylor has planned visits to the Eiffel Tower and Euro Disney in Paris and then taking an underwater train ride to London where she'll visit the London Eye (a large Ferris wheel-like observation structure) and see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

As the family awaits Taylor's sixth surgery, their church, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Antioch, has come to its aid. The church will host a fundraiser from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Antioch VFW hall.

The evening will include a barbecue dinner, raffle, silent auction, bake sale and live music. Tickets cost $5 and can be purchased at the door, or call the church at (847) 395-9400.

Doyle said the money not only will help the family to deal with medical expenses, but also the travel expenses.