Columbus East junior Grace LaSell poses for a photo with her grandmother Linda Lewis and her father Tyler LaSell with a banner naming LaSell a Riley Champion at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, March 19, 2024. LaSell was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2019 that caused her kidneys to fail resulting in the need for dialysis. She received a kidney transplant in 2021 but her body rejected the new kidney. She maintains straight A’s at school as well as her position as one of the top players on the Columbus East girls golf team and as a member of the show choir despite going to Riley Hospital three times a week for dialysis.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Many people didn’t know Grace LaSell has been fighting a battle her entire life.
LaSell, a junior at Columbus East, lives life like any other teenager in doing the things she loves such as playing the piano, playing on the school’s golf team, show choir and playing the star role in the school’s musical “Chicago.” LaSell didn’t share her story until a couple years ago that she developed kidney failure due to an autoimmune disease called ANCA vasculitis.
On Tuesday afternoon at East, LaSell was presented with a banner honoring her as a Riley Champion. Her friends and family were there by her side to support through all of the highs and lows over the past few years. LaSell mentioned her sister Elise nominated her to be a Riley Champion. The banner will be hung in the school’s gym.
Even with her condition, Grace LaSell is all about helping out others. She has learned to become a public speaker and recently spoke to the IU Dance Marathon about her condition.
“I really didn’t open up about it until my sophomore year. I started getting attention about it, and people started asking questions, and I started becoming more of an advocate. I would want to answer questions and spread awareness,” Grace LaSell said. “Even since I got diagnosed, people would call me the poster child. I was really good at advocating for my health and speaking up with doctors, so they all recommended me to speak.”
LaSell first started developing symptoms in 2019 while vacationing with family in Florida. After two years, she received her new kidney. Things didn’t go as planned, and her body rejected the new kidney, so now, she is taking dialysis three days a week. Instead of taking a home dialysis, LaSell makes the drive to Riley early in the morning every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. With this plan, she goes back to school for a half-day on those three days, along with full days on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
It’s a lot of things to juggle for a now 17-year old, but LaSell said she planned it this way to free up her evenings with all the extracurricular activities she does.
Doctors at Riley are amazed at how active LaSell is after going through a dialysis and staying as active as she is only hours after a treatment and going to school that afternoon. LaSell said doctors notice a difference in her health when she is staying active.
“I don’t know of that many people that could handle the adversity that she’s had to handle over the last 4 1/2 years,” said Tyler LaSell, Grace’s father. “With a positive attitude, the setbacks, it’s been a roller coaster ride, but to continue her career with golf, show choir and being in drama, to have all of those setbacks and to be able to put it aside and still be successful in what she does, it’s very inspiring.”
Grace is one that doesn’t make her medical condition be her identity. She was one of the top golfers on the East varsity team last fall, started in the school’s musical “Chicago,” and enjoys playing the piano in her spare time. She began playing the piano at 6 years old. For her Make-A-Wish, she wanted to choose something that was her long time passion, so she received a baby grand piano.
“Music is kind of a safe space. If I ever had a really bad day, I can always go to the piano and play,” she said. “When I was at Riley, they had a “music therapy,” and they would bring up a keyboard into my hospital room so I could still play.”
After everything that LaSell has gone through the past 4 1/2 years, she is very glad to have such a strong support system from her family and friends to help her out on her bad days, as well as her good days.
“They’re all a really good support system. My whole family is involved at helping spread the awareness. If people ask about it, they’ll be big advocates for it,” LaSell said. “My friends also have all been super supportive in terms of understanding. If there’s days I come back from the hospital after dialysis and not feeling the greatest, they’re big supporters in helping me stay upbeat and catching me up on what I miss (at school).”
