Lizzie Bell, who suffers from Diamond Blackfan anemia, with her mother, Kathy.

Greg Bryan / arizona daily star

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Lizzie Bell considers University Medical Center her second home.

Diagnosed as a newborn with a rare genetic disease, Diamond Blackfan anemia, the 13-year-old has spent much of her life at the hospital. She needs blood transfusions every two to three weeks to survive. But a visit Thursday afternoon was all about helping other children.

Lizzie, her sister and her friends presented UMC with $151 in cash, plus some change, which they raised by holding a car wash and bake sale. The money will go toward the new children's ward planned at UMC, the Diamond Children's Medical Center. Funding for the center, to open in 2010, was kick-started in November with a $15 million donation from developer Donald Diamond.

Lizzie's disease is named for doctors Louis K. Diamond and Kenneth D. Blackfan.

Lizzie said she was happy to give something back and help other children at the place that has played a critical role for her.

"My life has been here," she said. "I've been here since I was 6 weeks old."

Lizzie's friends, Daniela and Karina Acosta, 12 and 9; and Nicole Ayers, 13; as well as Lizzie's sister, Alicia, 11, also are familiar with UMC. Lizzie said all of them have kept her company during the blood transfusions, which take five hours or more each.

The girls all chipped in to bake cookies, wash cars and pass out promotional fliers for the fundraiser, which they held in early January.

Lizzie's mother, Kathy, said the girls came up with the idea for the fundraiser and ran the entire operation themselves. The girls did such a good job promoting the car wash that they had a line of cars that stretched down the block 40 minutes before it even began.

The girls said they hope the money can go toward toys and blankets to help sick kids feel more at home when the new medical center opens.

"It's incredible to see children getting involved," said UMC President and CEO Gregory Pivirotto, who was on hand Thursday to receive the money from Lizzie and her friends.

The girls said they had fun raising the money and already are talking about holding more car washes and bake sales for the children's center.

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