About the Goose
Meet Lyla, our most rare and beautiful bright light.
Strong Goose began with the love surrounding one little girl and the nickname her big brother gave her: Goose.
Lyla's story
A family learning as they go.
Lyla was born at Maine Medical Center in Portland. During a routine 20-week ultrasound, her family learned that her brain was developing differently. What was initially thought to be ventriculomegaly was later confirmed by an MRI at Mass General to be multiple brain malformations.
Lyla lives with epilepsy and global developmental delays, as well as cataracts in both eyes, a spinal lipoma, and severe scoliosis. Before her second birthday, she had three surgeries: placement of a g-tube for feeding and medication administration, removal of the lenses of both eyes, and surgery to ease tension caused by the spinal lipoma.
Her scoliosis compresses her left lung and makes illness especially dangerous. After two rounds of genetic testing, including testing through Boston Children's Hospital, the root cause of Lyla's medical challenges and her long-term prognosis remain unknown.
Why Strong Goose
Lyla's older brother, Grayson, calls her Goose. The name stuck with everyone who knows and loves her.
A joyful symbol of resilience
Strong Goose pairs that cherished nickname with a muscle-armed goose: softened with pink glasses, a Valentine's heart, and an epilepsy-awareness purple heart accent. It is a symbol of Lyla's resilience and the strength surrounding her.
What your purchase supports
Helping care for the Goose, one need at a time.
Strong Goose apparel was created to raise rare disease awareness and help Lyla's family care for her immediate needs. Purchases are intended to support accessibility changes at home, a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, additional medical costs, and therapies that insurance does not cover.
Shop Strong Goose