Local Family Hopes To Get Hero for Daughter With Birth Defect - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

(KCEN) -- It's a parent to be's worst nightmare.

Being told your child has a rare birth defect and that they might not make it.        

That's what happened to a Waco family.

Little Hope beat the odds, is now 7 years old, but needs the community's help.

Just like any kid Hope loves the park.  

But unlike any kid out here she can't take a step without her oxygen tank.

While in her mother's womb Hope was diagnosed with Pentalogy of Cantrell.

A birth defect affecting 5 in a million births.    

Doctors said she might not make it, but she did.

Hope's mother Brandi Kershner says, "She was alive , you know we were just, it was a different experience because we were just so grateful because we knew ahead of time that she might not make it."

Because of that defect she currently can't get enough oxygen in her system.

She now gets it through an oxygen tank attached to her trachea.

That's where her service dog comes in.

Hero is going to be Hope's service dog and once he's actually fully trained he's actually going to carry her oxygen tank. And go to places with her like even the swimming pool.

"My cousin Eriya cant wait for me to swim with him," Hope says.

And he'll never leave her side, even monitoring her breathing.

Dog trainer Cami Bajer says, "The oxygen tanks, where still in transition with that but I believe they're going to have a beeper on them. If they become detached or if there's anything the family needs to be alarmed by, we'll actually teach him to go see Brandi."

Training Hero costs $5,000 an expense the family needs help with.

And the community is already reaching out.

"I'm just very grateful and humbled by the amount of people that have taken interest and want to help my little girl," Brandi says.

Hope is currently home schooled but Hero could change all that.

"I cant wait to go to school," she says.

You can send donations to:

Hope Hero's Benefit
 First National Bank
P.O. Box 2662
Waco, TX 76703

Hope's Hero Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/HopesHeroes?fref=ts

Lasalle Shoppes Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/HopesHeroes?fref=ts#!/LaSalleShoppes?fref=ts