KELSEYVILLE — Current and former Lake County residents crowded Guido”s Pizzeria in Kelseyville Saturday afternoon at a fundraiser benefiting 2-year-old Malyia Jeffers, whose story has gripped local and national audiences.
About 130 people attended the pizzeria fundraiser, donating more than $5,000 for Malyia, according to family friend Terri Felton. “Lake County really reached deep down inside of them,” she said.
The majority of attendees were former classmates of Malyia”s father, Kelseyville High School graduate Ryan Jeffers, Felton said. Some people traveled from Santa Rosa and even southern California to attend the event, Felton said.
The local support displayed Saturday marked another recent positive development in Malyia”s heart-wrenching story. Malyia returned home to Sacramento with her parents this past week, after spending the better part of three months in hospitals, Felton said.
Malyia contracted Streptococcus A (strep A) late last year. The infection invaded her blood stream, attacked many organs and forced doctors to amputate both feet, her left hand and some fingers on her right hand.
Malyia”s kidneys recently regained some functionality, which coupled with an improving overall condition, allowed doctors to release her from the hospital, Felton said. The toddler is now learning how to crawl and will soon be fitted from prosthetics and a custom wheelchair, Felton said.
The young girl”s story gained significant local and national coverage around the New Year. A week after the Record-Bee first reported Malyia”s condition in December, The Sacramento Bee published an article detailing Malyia”s story.
The Bee article stated that the family waited for five hours in a Sacramento hospital emergency room in early December, when Malyia”s infection would have been in an earlier stage. Malyia”s symptoms worsened during the ER wait, the article said. In addition to other local print and television coverage, CNN published a story on its website on Jan. 13, detailing Malyia”s condition and focusing on emergency room waits from a national prospective.
Family members, friends and concerned citizens donated more than $42,500 for Malyia and her family using the fundraising website ChipIn.
There remains an Umpqua Bank account for the Malyia Jeffers Medical Fund open through the end of March, Felton said. People wanting to donate to the bank account can find more information at the Kelseyville and Lakeport branches, Felton said.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
