Children with Cancer Receive Bald American Girl Dolls Thanks to Kindhearted 5th Grader
It isn’t uncommon to hear a little girl say, “I want an American Girl doll.” But to hear her say she wants to give these expensive dolls to someone else? That is so special and rare.
Fifth-grader Bella Fricker was 5 years old when she met a child with cancer and was impacted when the child passed away battling neuroblastoma, People reported.
Since then, the now 11-year-old has made it her mission to make a difference in the lives of children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
“Around 9 years old, Bella saw in a catalogue in the mail that [American Girl] made dolls without hair,” Valerie Fricker, Bella’s mom, told People. “She said, ‘Hey, mommy! I want to buy some of these and give them to little girls. I want to raise money.’”
It was then that the idea for the “Peace Love Bracelets Foundation” was formed. Bella wanted to make bracelets for her mom to sell on Facebook, hoping to raise enough funds to purchase bald “Truly Me” dolls.
But Bella’s desire to make an impact didn’t stop there. She didn’t want to simply purchase the dolls and have them shipped off to children’s hospitals; she wanted to deliver them herself.
Some might call her a real live Santa Claus or fairy godmother. She’s certainly delivering magic and smiles to children all over the place.
“I’m very proud of her. She loves meeting the little girls and giving them dolls,” Fricker told “Good Morning America.”
Thirty-eight dolls have been delivered by Bella and her mom. They have traveled to children’s hospitals in other states to make dreams come true.
One girl close to Bella’s age, 10-year-old Nevaeh Williams, is now in remission from desmoplastic small round cell tumor.
Nevaeh received one of Bella’s dolls in 2017. Now that her hair is growing back, her mom, Alana Williams, says that they will give her doll hair.
“She has always wanted an American Girl doll and she really needed it in that moment,” Williams told “Good Morning America.” “She brought the doll with her during her treatment and it comforted her.”
Bella also does her best to make each doll personal to the child receiving it, according to the Huffington Post.
“For example, if they are a softball player, then Bella will get a softball outfit. If they are a ballerina, Bella will get a ballet outfit,” Fricker told the Huffington Post.
“She also likes to give them a coloring book and crayons and a bracelet making set, so they have something to do during chemotherapy or hospital stays.”
Bella hopes to gift dolls to children with other diseases, too. The young lady has Type 1 diabetes and would like to give American Girl dolls with diabetes care kits to others like her.
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