Carnival Saturday to help sick Somerton baby

A family-friendly carnival will be held Saturday to benefit little Sophie Quiroz, the seriously ill Somerton toddler who is waiting for a liver transplant.

Sophie's Day will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Council Park in Somerton, next to the library. Games, prizes and food await: a dunk tank, tug-of-war, petting zoo, horse riding, face painting, spin the wheel, bean bag toss, races, freebie golf bucket, balloon darts, photo studio, chair massages, water pong, entertainment, raffles, and food for every taste, including carne asada tacos, tamales, pizza, hot dogs.

One-year-old Sophie suffers from a rare and aggressive liver disease called Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis (PFIC). In short, her liver backs up with the digestive fluid bile and she can suddenly fall into liver failure.

Her treatment often takes her to Phoenix, and her care is both expensive and emotionally stressful.

Visit www.facebook.com/sophie.quiroz.98 to keep up with additional efforts to help the girl and her family.