A foundation set up to honor a metro Detroit teen who died in 2004 donated a $15,000 check to the University of Michigan health system on Wednesday.
Louie Merlo was just 16 years old when he died after courageously battling a series of severe physical and cognitive challenges from birth. He was a long-term patient at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.
Earlier this year, his parents, Nancy and Ray, who also own the Brighton Equestrian Club, established a foundation in his name to honor their son's memory.
The first donation from the foundation was to the U-M Pediatric Palliative Care Program to sponsor, in part, a therapy dog to help bring joy and inspiration to the young patients and families alike.
For more information on the foundation, visit https://www.lrmfoundation.org/
