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Andrews Baby Inspires West Texans

Babies fight with rare heart defect inspires West Texans to help her family.
By: Cierra Putman
NewsWest 9

ANDREWS - An infant in Andrews is fighting for her life.

On Saturday, dozens of people came out to golf tournament to help raise money for Laken Mia Subia's hospital bills.

It wasn't your average weekend on the green for some men because they were golfing for Laken Mia Subia and her family.

"When she first went to the doctor over there it was pretty bad," Laken Mia's grandfather Dale Duke, said. "We didn't know. We were scared but at the same time we knew that whatever the good Lord meant to be was going to be."

Even before she was born Duke says his granddaughter had to be a fighter.

"When she was born they didn't think she would make it through the night," Duke said.

Fight she did, despite having Epstein's Anomaly, a rare heart defect, but as the story spread the two month old quickly inspired others to join the fight with her.

"It's really trying on your marriage and your faith and they've really shown that they've surpassed any barrier you could bring," Family Friend Nikki Pate, said. "For me, it moved me in a way that nothing really has before."

"This is what they've done for Laken," Family Friend Glenice Newbrough, said. "This is not like an accident or something that's going to be healed by tomorrow. It's going to be a long process and this community has just come together to help her."

And they're just not raising money on the green.

As well as the tournament, they're also selling bracelets and collecting money in donation jars in shops and stores around Andrews, and they're also in Midland and Odessa.

So, far they've raised about $20,000. The money's there to help with Laken Mia's hospital bills just in case she needs open heart surgery.

"Each day it has gotten better," Duke said. "They say she's going to need surgery, but we don't know. Only the man upstairs knows."

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