You would not know Addie Bryan has faced a lifetime of challenges by just looking at her.

Bryan seems like any other young girl, eager to be outside and take part in all the activities a youngster does on a daily basis.

But Bryan is different, not only in the challenges she has faced at such a very young age but also in her drive to give back to those who have given so much to her.

Bryan is trying to raise $18,000 for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, Texas before she turns 8 on Aug. 16.

Bryan was born with Larsen’s Syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder that affects the development of bones throughout the body.

The signs and symptoms of Larsen Syndrome vary widely. Affected individuals are usually born with inward- and upward-turning feet — club-feet — and dislocations of the hips, knees and elbows.

In Bryan’s case, she was born with a club-foot and both her legs were backward. But thanks to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital and its staff, she can run and walk. She just cannot bend her knees.

Bryan’s mom, Julie, said her daughter was only 5 days old when the first casts were put in place.

“They told us [Larsen’s Syndrome] was spontaneous,” Julie said.

This is not Bryan’s first effort in raising money for the hospital. In 2014, she decided she and friends were going to set up a lemonade stand and sell lemonade to raise money for the medical facility.

Her goal was $1,000, but that quickly went to $2,000 and then $4,000 after she abandoned the stand and began standing on a street corner in her subdivision holding a sign asking for support.

One lady, according to Bryan, gave her $100.

She raised $4,200 in 2014 and presented the money to the hospital.

“I think it is a good thing to help other kids,” Bryan said. “We never had to pay for the surgeries.”

After last year, Bryan decided she was going to raise money for the hospital every year.

This year’s goal was initially $10,000, but Julie Bryan convinced her to scale it back to $8,000 — and she passed that within a couple weeks after starting on July 10. Addie, because of her efforts to help others, has been interviewed by People Magazine, Fox News New York, Dallas-Fort Worth area TV stations and other media.

“She is now at $15,000,” Julie said.

Bryan is scheduled to give this year’s money to Scottish Rite Hospital on Aug. 12.

 To learn more about Addie and her fundraising efforts, visit http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/achieving-dreams-for-addison/203387.

Lindsley writes The Rockwall County (Tex.) Herald banner