ST. LOUIS — It wasn't hard to fall in love with Laila Anderson this past spring and summer.
By now, her story is known by just about everyone.
When she was 11, she was diagnosed with a rare disease called "HLH", and needed a bone marrow transplant. Then she met the St. Louis Blues, her favorite team. She got the bone marrow transplant, became the Blues' number one fan and the rest is history.
5 On Your Side Sports Director Frank Cusumano sat down with Laila in October, now that she's a full fledged St. Louis celebrity, for a game of fast paced question and answer we like to call "Hit and Run".
Here are some of the highlights from our interview with Laila:
Frank Cusumano: "What's the percentage of times where you now go to a restaurant where you're recognized?"
Laila Anderson: "97%"
FC: "Do they often pick up the tab?"
LA: "At the beginning yes... now sometimes."
FC: "Where does your courage come from?"
LA: "It's what my parents taught me and it's all I know of."
FC: "Favorite hockey player not on the Blues?"
LA: "Pat Maroon."
FC: "How about dreams and goals for your life? What do you want to do and what do you want to accomplish?"
LA: "I want to be a pediatric brain surgeon. I want to go to Yale and I want to be something big later in life."
FC: "So explain why you want to be a pediatric brain surgeon."
LA: "I've always been interested in medical things. Ever since I was really little. And then after I got a brain biopsy and realized how much it sucked I just wanted to help as many other people as I can."
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