LAKELAND, Fla. — Just a few times a year, you’ll find Riley Baldwin setting up snacks inside her family’s garage. 

The 9-year-old initially created a snack stand to raise money for a Little Free Library. She later started selling treats again to help her parents with her medical bills.

What You Need To Know

  • Nine-year-old Riley Baldwin started selling snacks to help pay for her medical bills

  • Riley has faced several health challenges since she was born

  • To support her snack stand, follow the yard sale signs on Glen Garry Road E. this weekend 

“I want to be kind, and I just want to help,” Riley said.

Brandon and Caroline Baldwin say their girl was diagnosed with laryngomalacia when she was 2 months old. The condition severely impacted Riley’s breathing, causing her to undergo major surgery.

Since then, Brandon says Riley has developed more health issues and has spent days in and out of hospitals.

“As a parent, just going through it and still dealing with it — it’s difficult,” he said. “Anything with a child, no matter what it is, it’s just torment. You just feel helpless.”

To make matters worse, the couple says they’re buried in years of medical bills. To help ease the financial burden, they host garage sales, giving away their family’s collectibles.

“A lot of things I had over the years from my childhood that I thought maybe one day I’d give to her, but she’s like, ‘It’s okay, Daddy, it’s alright. We need to take care of life before things.’ And she’s right. It’s just stuff,” Brandon said.

Riley says she’s just grateful to be by her parents’ side, handing out snacks to everyone who walks into her grandparents’ garage, while they support her in return.

“And just be nice,” she said.

If you would like to support Riley’s snack stand, the Baldwins are hosting their last two yard sales of the year this Saturday and Sunday starting at 7 a.m. Follow the yard sale signs on Glen Garry Road E.

 

Or, you can support by donating to Riley’s GoFundMe.

GoFundMe.com, or any other third-party online fundraiser, is not managed by Spectrum Bay News 9 or Spectrum News 13. For more information on how GoFundMe works and its rules, visit http://www.gofundme.com/safety.