Lily Joy was born on Sept. 5, 1995, in Southwest MO and was cherished as the first daughter in a family with two older brothers. She was a beautiful child and seemed very happy but at two weeks old, her family began to notice a problem with Lily’s behavior. When they took her in, the physicians discovered that Lily had a brain defect from birth causing a seizure disorder. At the age of 4, she battled through brain surgery as her family waited anxiously, hoping for a complete healing.

Today, however, Lily is 11, lives in East Tennessee, and, in spite of the doctors' hard work, she still struggles with seizures. Despite her mental condition, and even quite possibly because of it - as ironic as that may seem, Lily has always had a love for music, art, and especially elephants. Lily’s fascination for elephants is beyond anything her family has ever seen. From the time she was quite young, she has been consistently drawing, coloring, and talking about… elephants. She will sit for hours on end at the table (or in recent years, the computer), perfectly content to draw nothing but elephants. Knowing her passion, Lily’s family members love to send her elephant stuff on Christmas, birthdays, and various occasions. She has been known to carry around an armful of stuffed elephants and small elephant figures all day. She especially loves elephant family interaction and enjoys pointing out the Mama & Daddy Elephants, Baby Elephants, and maybe a Sister or Brother Elephant here and there. Growing up with 5 siblings, Lily portrays a love for family and it exudes from her artwork.

Her family is so thankful for the joy and hope she brings. May we all learn from Lily’s humble example. We are but instruments.