"Big heart, big goals:" 8-year-old girl aspiring to become brain surgeon gives back to recovering patients

MILWAUKEE -- What were you doing when you were eight years old? Memorizing the lobes of the brain perhaps? If so, then you're a lot like a young Slinger girl who is absolutely certain she's going to be a neurosurgeon.

Laina Stachowicz

"I want to be a neurosurgeon when I grow up," said Laina Stachowicz, birthday girl/future neurosurgeon.

Eight-year-old Laina is focused on becoming a brain surgeon in the next couple of decades or so.

"Since I can't do that now, I made care packages to help the patients," said Laina.

On Thursday, July 28th, the Slinger Elementary School student was inside Milwaukee's Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, where she delivered nearly 1,100 gifts to those undergoing the most delicate of procedures and getting a heartwarming hug from her hero.

"What makes it exciting? Just to see him and to look up to him in my future," said Laina.

"He" was Dr. Amin Kassam,  VP of neuroscience at Aurora Health Care.

Laina Stachowicz and Dr. Amin Kassam

"I hope she just doesn't settle for being a brain surgeon," said Dr. Kassam.

Dr. Amin Kassam

Not after seeing what a Facebook post months ago yielded -- brain-stimulating gifts which came from across the country.

"When you're laying in a bed, and you're just not sure what's going on in your world, and there's a lot of foreign stuff -- to know that you have a little piece of somebody that has nothing to do with you, or the people caring for you -- it comes back to agendas," said Kassam.

Laina's agenda is to help after she learns a little more about the lobes.

"Frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, brain stem and cerebellum," said Laina.

Laina's parents are pretty proud.

"I'm very proud of Laina, and what she does for other people. She's got a big heart, big goals," said Jodi Stachowicz, Laina's mother.

Laina Stachowicz

The donations didn't sit for long.

As soon as the birthday surprise was over, the shipment was already on its way to the ICU for use in communication and cognitive therapies for stroke and brain surgery patients.

If you're interesting in donating items to the Aurora St. Luke's Neurosciences Program, CLICK HERE.