O’FALLON, Mo. (KTVI) — Seven-year-old Alma Lacoste lives life a little differently than many other kids her age. Alma was born with spina bifida, a condition that affects the spine, and which limits her mobility. She uses a wheelchair — and when she’s at her O’Fallon, Missouri, home, she crawls.
“Since April, she has been in the hospital four times with two surgeries,” said Kayla Buckowitz, Alma’s mother. “… It’s really hard just to see her have to go through so much.”
The 7-year-old has been in and out of hospital rooms since she was born. She also lives with hydrocephalus and epilepsy. Buckowitz says Alma has probably had around 10 surgeries in her young life. Her first surgery happened while she was still in the womb.
Through it all, there’s been one constant: Alma’s love for music superstar Taylor Swift. She says she loves to sing Taylor’s hits everywhere, from home to her hospital bed.
“She’s my favorite,” Alma said.
“Just pop on Taylor Swift in there, and it was just like a dance party in our hospital room,” Buckowitz said.
Just like all Swift fans around the country, Alma and her family are trying to get tickets to Swift’s high-demand The Eras Tour. A family friend has helped set up a GoFundMe to help Alma and her parents see Taylor Swift in Kansas City, Missouri. Those shows are scheduled for July 7-8 at Geha Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
As of Friday evening, the Alma’s Wish fund had about $2,350 of its $7,000 goal.
But the family says that even if they don’t get to go, the bond that’s grown through the music may be just enough.
“She’s sick in a hospital room, but it’s not as bad because we have those memories of listening to these Taylor Swift songs together and bonding,” Buckowitz said. “I don’t know, it seems like a little glitter of light for us that we have.”
