ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — One Parkway student had quite a summer vacation story to tell when she returned to school this week.
Laila Anderson, the girl who stole St. Louis' heart and joined the Blues in celebrating the team's first Stanley Cup victory, returned to school for the first time in two years. She missed two years of school after being diagnosed with a rare disease called ‘HLH.’
In a video posted to the Parkway Schools Facebook page, Laila said she's excited to see her friends and inspire as many people as she can.
And another thing she's looking forward to? A break from her parents.
'I love my parents, but I need a break from their faces," she said in the video.
Laila Anderson was introduced to us back in November 2018 when she was looking for a bone marrow donor. In December 2018, she got the good news that there was a perfect match.
HLH is so rare, only 15 other children in the world have been diagnosed with it. During her time in the hospital, Kelly Chase and Alexander Steen visited her.
She was a constant inspiration for the Blues through their Stanley Cup run and even joined the team on the ice after their Game 7 win and during the championship parade.
God luck to Laila and the rest of the Parkway students in the new school year.
