Homer Glen Family Creates Fundraiser For 2-Year-Old Daughter

HOMER GLEN, IL — The Cepkauskas family from Homer Glen is well-known on social media for their Facebook page, "Emily's Heart." The page, which shows the journey of the family's 2-year-old daughter Emily, has over 28,000 likes. Emily was born with chronic lung and heart disease, and last week, she was hospitalized when a cold turned to pneumonia, causing some health problems for the little girl.

Emily's mom, Laurie, created a YouCaring page for her daughter. Laurie stays at the hospital with Emily, thus missing work and the income she would make there.

According to the YouCaring page, "While Emily is only 2, you can imagine that her most favorite person in the world is Mommy so with that being said, mom had taken some time off work to be by Emily's side when she needs it most causing a financial strain on the family income."

$14,695 has been raised out of the $15,000 goal. In the past few days, Emily has been feeling better, according to the "Emily's Heart" Facebook page. However, she faced several rough days while she was fighting off the virus.

"Our angel continues to fight this virus. Her tiny body is exhausted. It may not seem like it but she has a lot of fight left in her," one post said. "A cold is not just a cold for a heart warrior. It’s literally a matter of life and death."

According to the Facebook Page, Emily's health has improved although Laurie writes that weaning the health support she has will be a slow process.

If you'd like to read more about Emily or stay updated on her story, you can visit her Facebook page.

Photos provided by Laurie Cepkauskas.