COCHRAN, Ga. — Allie Itson loves filling her sweet tooth at the Cochran Dairy Queen. It's the perfect treat after spending several weeks in the hospital.
It started in October. Countless times, Allie fell down and couldn't move.
Diana Itson, Allie's mom, says, "She said she couldn't feel her legs, she couldn't stand up, she couldn't walk."
Diana says at first, doctors suspected the falls were seizures. After further testing, they determined they were mini-strokes. "She's 8, and who knew that an 8-year-old could have strokes?"
Doctors diagnosed Allie with moyamoya, a rare brain disease. "It was devastating, because she's been healthy her entire life. I didn't know what moyamoya disease was," says Diana.
In early January, Allie had two brain surgeries. Now, she is on the road to recovery.
The Cochran Dairy Queen is a part of her healing, and not just for the delicious Blizzards. "I had no idea they could touch our lives this much," says Diana.
During a trip to the fast food restaurant, the workers and Allie instantly connected.
Now, Dairy Queen wants to help. "It puts us on the map, it shows that Dairy Queen isn't just a fast food restaurant, we help people," says Dairy Queen manager, Patrick Taylor.
On Saturday, February 1, it's Allie Day. 20 percent of Dairy Queen's earnings go to help pay medical bills.
Diana says the contributions to Allie means a lot. "It's pretty expensive when you have a baby that's not well. I mean, I just can't tell you how much of an impact that's it's going to have on our life.
She's also tasked with a special job, "She gets to be manager for the day. She gets to tell everybody what to do. She even gets to tell me what to do," says Taylor.
Cochran Dairy Queen, owner/operator, Ali Momin, says they anticipate making about $1,000 to give to Allie. He says they will also make a separate donation to her cause.
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