Rese Schneider is Stella’s mom. And when life handed her the kind of news no parent should ever have to hear, she didn’t shut down—she rolled up her sleeves.
When Stella was eight, she looked at a neighborhood playground and said,
“That playground isn’t for me.”
After a cancerous brain tumor diagnosis in 2023, the slides, swings, and monkey bars that once brought joy had quietly become off-limits to this sweet, dragon-loving girl who was struggling to walk and even smile on her own.
Instead of accepting that reality, Rese set out to change it—not just for Stella, but for every child in Milwaukee. The result is Stella’s Playground, a universally inclusive play space where everyone belongs, coming to Reservoir Park in late summer of 2026.
Today we talk about the story of this playground, and one mother's fierce, fierce love for her daughter. Grab a Kleenex for this one, you might need it, I know I did!
🐲 🛝 More about Stella & Stella's Playground online:
Website: https://stellasplayground.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stellasplaygroundmke/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellasplaygroundmke/
Meet Stella, MACC Fund Featured Fighter
Stella on TMJ4
Stella in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Stella on FOX6
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