🐷💗 “I’VE GOT THIS”: 9-Year-Old Zoey Faces Brain Surgery With Her Lucky Mr. Piggy by Her Side

Next Wednesday, 9-year-old Zoey Jones will be wheeled into an operating room at Children’s of Alabama for brain surgery.

For most parents, the thought of their child undergoing such a serious procedure would be overwhelming.

But Zoey has a message for her parents, Mark and Erin:

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

And she plans to have her favorite companion, a stuffed animal named Mr. Piggy, by her side.

For Zoey’s family, those words are more than a cute expression. They represent the extraordinary strength this little girl has shown throughout nearly her entire childhood.

Zoey lives with Sickle Cell Disease, an inherited blood disorder that can cause severe episodes of pain and other serious complications.

She was only 6 months old when her family moved from Mobile to Gardendale, Alabama, so she could be closer to the specialized care available at Children’s of Alabama.

Since then, her childhood has included countless medical appointments, blood transfusions and procedures.

Yet her mother says Zoey has continued to smile through it all.

“She’s always seemed to be smiling,” Erin shared.

Zoey is described by her family as smart, kind, funny and incredibly loving.

She loves art and science.

She enjoys cooking, especially breakfast foods and Asian dishes.

She loves knock-knock jokes and is known as one of the best huggers around.

But another health challenge recently changed the family’s plans.

Doctors diagnosed Zoey with Moyamoya Disease, a rare condition in which important arteries supplying blood to the brain become narrowed.

The condition can increase the risk of serious neurological complications, including strokes and seizures.

Erin says Zoey experienced a stroke two years ago.

Now doctors are preparing to perform surgery in hopes of improving blood circulation to her brain and reducing the possibility of future complications.

For her parents, the upcoming procedure naturally brings fear and uncertainty.

For Zoey, however, it seems to bring out the same determination she has shown for years.

Whenever Erin expresses concern, Zoey has a simple response:

“Mom, don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

Her mother says she initially worried that Moyamoya Disease might take away her daughter’s happiness.

Instead, Zoey has continued to show remarkable resilience.

“I thought Moyamoya Disease would steal Zoey’s joy, but she’s been very happy and resilient,” Erin said.

And so, on August 12, Zoey will head toward the operating room with her family’s love behind her and Mr. Piggy close by.

The brain surgery is the immediate priority.

Further down the road, Mark and Erin may undergo testing to determine whether either could potentially be a match for a bone marrow transplant, which can offer a potential cure for Sickle Cell Disease in appropriate patients.

But for now, the family is focused on one day at a time.

One procedure.

One prayer.

One hopeful step forward.

Zoey’s story isn’t simply about the medical challenges she has faced.

It is about a little girl who still finds joy in cooking, drawing, science, jokes and hugs.

It is about a child who continues to reᴀssure her parents even when they are the ones who are scared.

And it is about a stuffed pig who has apparently earned one very important job. 🐷

To stay beside Zoey.

As the August 12 surgery approaches, her family is asking people to send encouragement her way.

Zoey will read the comments herself.

So if you could say one thing to a brave 9-year-old who is about to face a difficult day, what would you tell her?

💗 Zoey, keep smiling. Keep fighting. And keep telling everyone around you the words you already know so well: “I’ve got this.”

🙏 Please keep Zoey, Mark, Erin and their family in your thoughts and prayers as they face the surgery ahead.