Feel Good Friday: Kallie’s Sweet Success

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Longtime viewers of 13abc will recognize Kallie Lewis. We’ve been keeping tabs on her since she was a toddler, and she’s already overcome many challenges in her life.

Kallie’s mother explained that the 8-year-old, who has Down Syndrome, also has two blood disorders that impact her immunity.

“A common cold to us puts her in the hospital for a couple weeks,” Heidi Lewis added. Despite the fact that she must dramatically limit her exposure to others, Kallie’s mom describes her as an outgoing “people person.”

Lewis hopes to exercise those skills on March 4 and March 5 by setting up her own Girl Scout cookie stand outside her home in Toledo.

“I reached out to Miss Patti to see if there was something she could do from home to earn that badge,” recalled Heidi.

“Miss Patti” is Pattieanne Opperman, Kallie’s troop leader. And she is in awe of Kallie’s cookie-selling success thus far.

“Last year, she went past her goal,” Opperman remembered with a laugh. “When she hit 1,000, I was amazed. When she went over 1,100, I was like, ‘you gotta be kidding me!’”

Opperman says, this year, Kallie only needs to sell 169 more boxes to hit 1,000. More importantly, the skills she and the other scouts learn are priceless.

“She sets her booth up, she decorates her booth, she works with the money, she goal-sets, she makes decisions,” Opperman explained.

Not to mention what Kallie teaches her troop in the process.

“She is a doll. She has enlightened us, our whole troop, to learn about others and diversity.”

Kallie’s cookie stand will open on March 4 and 5, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, at 2341 Valentine Street in Toledo.

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