Atherton Girl's Song Helps Hospital That Cured Her Rare Illness
ATHERTON (KCBS) - A 10-year-old Atherton girl who was once famous for being cured of a rare blood disorder has recently generated Internet buzz with her singing.
Reagan Smith started singing at the age of 7, nearly a year after she developed immune thrombocytopenic purpura, or ITP, a dangerous decrease in the platelets essential for blood clotting.
KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:
She tried several different treatments, including chemotherapy, before doctors at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital decided to remove her spleen, the organ where the platelets were being destroyed.
Since recovering from that 2009 surgery, Reagan's singing career took off as she participated in several singing competitions, in one case becoming the youngest winner.
Less than a week after her song "I Want To Know" was published on YouTube, it had garnered nearly 40,000 hits.
"I thought I was only going to get like maybe at the most like a thousand or two thousand," she said.
Proceeds from iTunes sales of the song will be donated to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, hospital officials said.
The 5th grader's career goal is to be a singing surgeon.
"I really like the idea of being a doctor, but I also want to sing," she said.
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