'It is good to see her happy and being a kid again'

NORWALK — Seven-year-old Lorelei Clark is a fighter. She has been battling health issues most of her life which have affected her both mentally and physically. But despite her issues and weekly visits to Akron Children's Hospital, Lorelei keeps moving forward. On Sunday Lorelei, her 4-year-old sister Madalyn, along with 10-year-old cousin Acacia Figley, held a lemonade stand at their house on East Elm Street in Norwalk. Lorelei has eosinophilic esophagitis, a recognized chronic allergic/immune condition of the esophagus. The esophagus is the tube that sends food from the mouth to the stomach. She had a feeding tube last fall and faced a "10 percent survival rate," her mother Samantha Clark said. "She has permanent spleen damage. She is feeling OK. Therapy every Friday and two medications. A lot of issues with growth and development. "She has been diagnosed since she was 1 1/2 years old. It delayed her growth. She has to see a team of doctors and had mental health issues. We manage it the best we can." Lorelei will be a second-grader this fall at Sandusky Primary School. How did the stand go? "It went pretty well," her mom said. "We were selling the wrist bands. We just placed an order for new ones. "When she got really sick this past fall they said we wouldn't see her back to her normal self. It is good to see her happy and being a kid again. She loves Taylor Swift, cooking shows and True Crime. She is an unique 7-year-old."