DALLAS — Tuesday afternoon was one of the last times Lily Lane would walk down the hallway of Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center. She's a high school senior at Townview's School of Health Professions.
On Wednesday night, she instead walked down the stage at graduation.
At 18 years old, Lane is already a certified phlebotomist. And in the fall, she's heading to Trinity University in San Antonio for college, another step toward her goal of being a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon.
"I was born in China with a cleft lip and palate, and I have had six surgeries to fix that," said Lane. Her most recent surgery was on her jaw in 2021, and she still needs an implant in the future. She said each time, her pediatric surgeons have left a lasting impact on her life.
Lane wants to be a surgeon for many reasons, but most importantly, she knows she will be able to relate to children going through surgeries because of her own experiences.
When Lane was born in China, her birth mother gave her up at the police station. She went from an orphanage to foster care.
"I spent the first two-and-a-half years of my life in China and then my mom came and adopted me," she said. At a young age, she moved to Dallas.
At this point, Lane isn't ready to dig into her biological past.
"I have mixed emotions. I don't know if I'm ready yet, but I think I'm still working toward getting there."
But she looks at her beginnings with grace, thankful for the sacrifice her birth mother made to give her a better life.
Lane said her mom and their faith are what keeps her positive through all her surgeries and experience.
"Don't stop, just keep going," she said.