Local Man Comes To Aid Of Toddler With EEE

BOSTON -- A local man has stepped in to make sure a toddler who is battling back from Eastern equine encephalitis can travel to China to receive treatment that might change her life.

Watch Video | Photos: Man Helps Girl With EEE

Allie's story grabbed the public's attention when she was only an infant. She was infected with the virus by a mosquito when she was only 3 months old and she was not immediately diagnosed. The bite changed her life forever.

"She has a hard time controlling her muscles and she gets frustrated that she can't. It lets us know that her body's not, her mind's not letting her body do what it needs to do," her mother Tina said.

Triple E caused severe brain damage. Allie can't speak and there's little she can do on her own. With constant therapy, however, she has improved. She's off her feeding tube and is finally seizure free.

Her family is taking her to China where stem cell treatment is legal and provides some promise for Allie. Her mother Tina says the treatment is experimental and the stem cells are from the umbilical cord of healthy babies.

To help pay for the $25,000 trip, Allie's family started a fund at Citizens Bank for donations. But after seeing NewsCenter 5's story on Allie, local philanthropist Ray Tye said he knew what he had to do.

"When I watched that story, I realized there was an opportunity to save a life of a child and that the family was doing all they could but just didn't have enough money to do it," Tye said.

The mission of the Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation is to "facilitate access to medical treatments for financially vulnerable individuals in our society."

"It was just amazing and wonderful. My husband and I stared at the ceiling for a couple of hours as if we had won the lottery, a new lease on life," said Tina.

"She is just a beautiful girl. She deserved that opportunity to live a life that is long and comfortable and natural. What I feel is that money can save lives, and that is why I am doing it," said Tye, whose foundation helps about 100 people and their families each year.

Allie turns 3 next week.

"She will be three on Monday and so this is quite a birthday present for her," said Tina.

The family's trip to China is scheduled for June.