At only two years old, Ivy’s life changed forever when she was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome – a kidney disorder for which there is currently no cure. Now, nine years later, sweet Ivy has been on Prednisone since her diagnosis, which has affected her growth.
In addition, the medications that she’s forced to take to treat the Nephrotic Syndrome have caused gastrointestinal issues and led to a diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis – another lifelong condition.
Throughout the years of battling the side effects of Nephrotic Syndrome and Ulcerative Colitis, Ivy has missed a lot of school and spent a considerable amount of time in miserable pain. Some of the children at Ivy’s school can be cruel, and unfortunately, she has been bullied for several years. Ivy doesn’t present as a stereotypical sick child, and Nephrotic Syndrome isn’t ubiquitous, so the bullies have used this as ammunition.
However, Ivy is joyful, thoughtful, and bubbly. She is incredibly close with her older sister, Stormie, and her mom, Tina, and both would do anything to bring Ivy joy. Together, they are an unshakable unit.
These girls represent a sisterhood like the one Taylor Swift shares with her girl squad. Taylor Swift is also one of Ivy’s favorite artists, and she loves listening to the Debut and Fearless albums to stay positive on hard days.
At our Send-Off Celebration in February, Carley Stephens, Manager of Community of Affairs at Gas South, Fairy Godparent volunteer, and champion for Bert’s Big Adventure, joined our magical morning and surprised Ivy and her family with the BIG NEWS!
It was finally showtime!!
Ivy, her beautiful sister, Stormie, and her incredible mom, Tina, experienced all the technicolor beauty of Taylor Swift’s The Era’s Tour at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, November 2nd!
To make sure they sparked throughout the evening, Gas South gifted all three beautiful ladies with stunning customized outfits, cowboy boots, and, of course … friendship bracelets!
To put the icing on the cake, Gas South and Three Rivers Limousine arranged a phenomenal white limousine fully stocked with delicious snacks to take Ivy and her family to and from this once-in-a-lifetime evening! Taylor Swift songs filled the speakers, creating the perfect vibe.
As the limousine pulled up to Lucas Oil Stadium, excitement buzzed in the air, and they danced their way to their EPIC floor-level seats. The lights dimmed and Taylor Swift took front and center on the elaborate stage. Ivy was overcome with pure happiness as her idol addressed the crowd and started to sing her favorite songs live.
