Girl Scout with Cerebral Palsy sets top cookie sale mark on Staten Island

GREAT KILLS (WABC) -- Troop 5312 wears the Girl Scout green with pride. They are 53 girls strong and unlike any other troop.

"The troop is comprised of girls with multiple disabilities," troop leader Lisa Rosenfeld said. "The disabilities range from autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome. Some have seizure disorders."

But just like all other troops, they sell Girl Scout cookies and this year 9-year-old Katelyn Vesci sold more cookies than anyone else on Staten Island.

"Katelyn was using a big Mac device and it said please buy cookies and after awhile, Katelyn began to pick up and she would say it herself, 'buy cookies please, buy cookies please,'" Rosenfeld explained.

Amazing considering Katelyn has Cerebral Palsy and is mostly non-verbal.

Katelyn sold 1,200 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, and that also made her the 6th highest seller in New York City.

"She's inspired so many people just by doing this. What's she has proven to me and to a lot people is just because you have disabilities doesn't mean you are at a disadvantage," her mom, Joanne Vesci, said.

Vesci says this troop gives Katelyn a sense of belonging and more confidence.

"She's a lot more comfortable around people. She tends to be a lot less guarded and more open. Her eye contact has improved. I think she's grown in tremendous ways due to the troop," Vesci said.

And Katelyn is as sweet as the cookie she sells.

"She does like the shortbread, the trefoils. Cookies are honestly her favorite thing in the world besides pizza. This is right up her alley," Vesci said.