Dec 14, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST
Lacy was an outgoing, fun nine-year-old. Then, one night, everything changed. She became a shell of herself.
Her mother, Crystal, 30, from Illinois, told Newsweek she can only describe last year as “hell.” Doctors said her first-born had anxiety and depression — but Crystal’s instincts told her something else was happening.
Recently, Crystal shared a TikTok video on (@crysrenae) showing Lacy on her ninth birthday, sitting in front of a watermelon wedge with candles, her face blank beside her excited younger brother. The clip then cuts to this year: The same girl grinning from ear to ear in front of cake. The transformation has struck a chord online, drawing almost 40 million views.
Gabriella True
