This Four-Year-Old Cheerleader Beats All Odds

Sakura Barden isn’t your average cheerleader. The four-year-old from Splendora, Texas is nothing short of a miracle. Cheering for the Splendora Youth Football League Wildcats team, Sakura had quite the intense journey to becoming a cheerleader. In 2010, Sakura was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, a life-threatening disease. Within a few hours of falling ill, Sakura’s lungs were failing, her liver and kidneys had problems, and her heart was in trouble. Though Sakura survived, she lost an arm, all fingers and toes, her Achilles tendon, the tops of her ears, and part of her intestine. Despite so many difficulties just to survive, Sakura isn’t just living life; she’s thriving as a cheerleader. Her teammates boost her confidence and help her with her speech. The team even created new pom pom handles so she can hold them. Whenever Sakura talks about cheer, she smiles! She just started pre-kindergarten and will continue to cheer this year. Sakura is proof that, despite all odds, you can be a cheerleader. We’ve seen so many cases of cheerleaders surviving various hardships and it proves that cheerleaders are survivors! Check out more of the story from the original news source here! What cheer stories inspire you? Does Sakura’s journey inspire you?