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Age 9 Girl with Rare Disease Needing Serious Brain Surgery, Asks for 10,000 Prayers

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There is a saying that one person can make a difference. Whomever started that saying probably never imaged just what an impact one person, in the form of a 9-year-old girl, could have.

In just a short amount of time, this fighter of a girl has made her presence and struggles known to thousands of people across the globe who didn’t even know about her until her unique request hit airwaves.

Sophia Marie Campa-Peters suffered several strokes 2-and-a-half years ago. The cause of these multiple strokes in the young girl was unknown to the doctors she initially saw, according to an interview Sophia and mom Karen gave to Lonestar 99.5 FM in Lubbock, Texas.



On the GoFundMe page for Sophia, her dad Scott explained the eventual diagnosis: “…she has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Moya-Moya.

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“Moya-Moya is typically characterized as the narrowing of blood vessels in the brain which results in limited blood flow and eventual brain damage from the lack of oxygen to those areas of tissue. This lack of blood flow and oxygen resulted in a series of strokes in 2015.”

While there is currently no cure for the disease, Sophia was scheduled for surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital on Jan. 26, 2018. Karen said in the Lonestar 99.5 FM interview that the purpose of the “at least two surgeries” Sophia needed was to “revascularize the blood vessels in her brain.”

Ahead of the surgeries, Sophia made a request for 10,000 people to pray for her. Word spread and Sophia and her plea gained international attention, with media outlets interviewing her and writing about her condition and request.

A special announcement was made for Sophia during an unrelated press conference headed by White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Sanders said, “Today, Sophia, I am here to tell you that millions of people from every corner of the world will be praying for you on January 26th, and among those will be people, and all of us, here at the White House, including President Trump.”

She shared a message from Trump, too: “Keep fighting, never give up. Keep inspiring us all and never, ever lose faith in God–with Him all things are possible.”

On the day of the surgery, people around the world prayed and anxiously awaited updates. Sophia’s prayer request was also shared, generating even more prayers and interest.



Karen posted updates to Sophia’s Ninja Kitten Sophia website as she was able. She noted, however, that the family’s number one priority was Sophia’s recovery, so updates might be slow in appearing.

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She did share a gem regarding her daughter’s first actions while in recovery. “In typical Sophia style she has made her signature move of saying ”Still alive!” while giving a thumbs up,” Karen announced.

“She created this move in defiance to doctors when she turned four years old and so many predicted she would not live to that age.”

As of Jan. 28, both family and doctors were impressed with Sophia’s condition. “Her nurse stated she has never seen a patient like her with no swelling after surgery!” her mother wrote in an update. In fact, Sophia was up and walking the day after surgery.

The faith, courage, and pluck of this little girl has left millions around the globe inspired. Indeed one person, even a child, can make a huge difference.

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