Yard sale helps raise funds for Bloomington woman

There was no music playing at Mike’s Music and Dance Barn in Nashville, Ind., on Sunday; instead it was transformed into a daytime yard sale to help raise funds for a woman suffering from a life-threatening disease.

Bloomington resident Lissie Wyatt was diagnosed with Wegners necrotizing glomular pheris, a rare auto-immune disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack the kidneys as if there were a disease entering the body.

Wyatt received a degree in music from Indiana State University and moved to Bloomington with her family. She has worked as an assistant teacher at Head Start for the past five years until the disease put her into the hospital. 

Items for the yard sale were donated by co-workers, friends, family and by word of mouth. The donations ranged from a retro bread machine to elephant statues. The sale was part of a series of events that took place during the weekend, including a book signing with John Sisson, a silent auction and a concert featuring several local artists.

Head Start teacher and Wyatt’s sister-in-law Beth Harris coordinated the event.
“Once she goes to disability she is going to lose her insurance. We did this to help alleviate the bills,” Harris said.

Retired Head Start teacher Charlie Hamm, who used to work with Wyatt, was at the event. She described Wyatt as an easy-going, talented musician who loves children.

“Lissie is always the one to cheer me up. She’s such a great person,” Hamm said.
Wyatt’s sister, Linda Baker of Bloomington, helped out at the event and recalled a moment while Wyatt was intubated.

“She could barely move her lips, and it looked like she was trying to say ‘Help me,’ and I couldn’t,” Baker said as her eyes began to well with tears.

Watching her sister battle Wegner’s has helped her appreciate the little things in life.

“When you’re young, you think nothing is going to hurt you, and then out of the blue something happens and everything changes,” Baker said. “It’s an eye-opening experience.”