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People surprise a local 13-year-old girl with a birthday parade

Posted at 4:15 PM, Aug 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-30 03:11:05-04

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Blaring horns, revving motorcycles and tons of gifts. All pieces of Mikayla's surprise birthday party.

Mikayla Browning is turning 13-years-old on Thursday and her family masterminded a celebration to cheer her up.

This week she received devastating news about her medical condition. She has Chiari malformation and it's getting worse. Her doctors said the cyst in her brain has grown.

Her mother, Casey Browning, wanted to throw the greatest birthday for her.

“It’s a strong fact this could be the last one, so this one is the all-out one," she said.

So, she and Mikayla's aunt, Fawn Barnes, created a Facebook event. They invited people in the community to surprise Mikayla.

Everyone met outside of Publix and headed to Mikayla's house.

The minute the cars turned the corner, her mom said she could see the happiness back in her face.

“She lit up for the first time in forever. She has been really down lately," Browning said.

A group called Prodigy Offroad heard about the event from Facebook. They brought their Jeeps and showered Mikayla with gifts -- including a starfruit tree.

“They know someone is thinking about them," Janet Hamel, a member of Prodigy Offroad, said. "It’s just a little something we can do to help someone smile and bring a little joy to their day."

Browning couldn't stop thanking everyone for coming.

“There are no words, absolutely no words," she said.