The littlest wolf in the pack was the star of the show Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Paws Out, Claws Out fundraiser held during basketball games at Lake City High School.

Students donned "SuperKitties" capes and masks in honor of Grace Sayler, 3, of Coeur d'Alene, who was born with Noonan syndrome. The evening brought in $4,000 for the Hope.Love.Grace nonprofit, founded by Grace's family in the fall of 2025, to provide research and advocacy funding for this rare genetic disorder.

"It was beautiful," Grace's mom, Honey Sayler, said Monday. "It truly was so amazing. It was one of the best nights of my life."

As the Timberwolves faced off against the Post Falls High Trojans, the basketball community, including Woodland Middle School students and Lake City High School Student Council leaders, sold out a 50/50 raffle and organized halftime games in a big show of support for the Saylers and their foundation. Grace's brother is an eighth-grader at Woodland. Her sister is a senior at Lake City.

Grace, sporting drawn-on whiskers and wearing a "Heart Warrior" T-shirt, had plenty to keep her entertained during an evening based on her favorite animated feline superhero show.

"She got to play with her buddies," Honey said. "She thought the boys and their capes were silly because big brother had a cape on and she thought that was fun."

Lake City Athletic Director Troy Anderson said the school annually hosts a fundraiser or special event for a specific cause, such as the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative, which supports the American Cancer Society. Paws Out, Claws Out was sponsored by First Light Home Care.

"This one definitely had a little more of a local vibe with it impacting a kid that is near and dear to us," Anderson said. "It was really cool to watch our student council come together, our parent group, Woodland’s PTO, all these moving parts. You see this great sense of community from five or six different areas. It was a great night, that’s for sure."

Noonan syndrome affects development and different systems throughout the body. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes a thickening of the heart muscle, accompanies Grace's condition. Many infants with this diagnosis don't survive to age 1 if they make it out of the hospital after birth. Doctors told her parents to enjoy her while they could, as they were out of options.

Grace has defied the odds, thanks to her family's dogged determination to not give up and Trametinib, an oral chemotherapy medication originally used to treat adults with melanoma.

"It saved her life," Honey said.

Last spring, Grace was taken off the chemo but was in heart failure within a month.

"She’s one of the oldest patients with a heart this bad," Honey said.

Long-term use of Trametinib can cause kidney and liver issues, so the hope is to try again to ease Grace off the meds in July. A heart transplant may be necessary, but not without doing everything they can to preserve hers.

"My husband and I are so grateful," Honey said. "It’s been a really scary journey to have somebody tell you your kid’s not going to make it. We’ve really had to fight for her care and her treatment."

Honey said their family is grateful for the community support. Since its founding, Hope.Love.Grace has raised nearly $15,000 for Noonan syndrome research at Dr. Bruce Gelb’s lab at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. The goal is $100,000.

"If we can prevent another family anywhere on the planet from having to go through this, that’s why we’re using our voice," Honey said.

Info: mountsinai.org 

  

    Lake City High basketball players and coaches show support for Grace Sayler and Noonan syndrome awareness by wearing Hope.Love.Grace shirts Wednesday, Jan. 14. The Sayler family, front row, from left: Grace's dad John Sayler, Grace, mom Honey Sayler and sister Lillian Sayler. Grace's brother Jack Sayler is last on the right in the middle row, black shirt.
  

  

    Local middle schoolers play a stacking game with boxes that say "hope," "love," and "grace" on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Lake City High School during the Paws Out, Claws Out fundraiser and awareness event for 3-year-old Grace Sayler, who was born with Noonan syndrome.