Raton family asking community to help lift spirits of daughter

Posted: Dec 1, 2020 / 10:23 PM MST / Updated: Dec 3, 2020 / 10:39 AM MST

RATON, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico teen has faced one of the toughest years imaginable and now her family is asking the community to help lift her spirits.

Back in March, 16-year-old Lianna Garcia underwent brain surgery in the hopes of reducing her seizures. Instead, she ended up partially paralyzed on the left side of her body. After three months in the hospital, Lianna was able to go home but had to wear a helmet, as doctors had removed part of her skull.

She has face continuing complications related to the surgery that has had her in and out of the hospital all year, and her mom has a simple request. “It’s just put countless, countless difficulties on the family from emotional, to financial to physical,” said Lianna’s mother Cordelia Garcia. “Today I reached out to our community to ask them to send her a Christmas card, send her a drawing, send her something, anything in the mail that she could open up and be happy, put a smile on her face,” said