BOUNTIFUL — A group of young children goes outside almost every day to set up a stand and sell bracelets and other things they make — but not to earn money for themselves. They are raising funds to help a young cancer patient.
Bay Killam, 13, said they were hanging out one day and decided to sell bracelets, something they had done before, but decided to give the money they received to a 2-year-old girl with cancer — Paisley Knapp.
“It feels really nice because we know we’re doing something good for her and her family,” Bay said.
Kimberly Killam, Bay’s mom, said Paisley is related to her niece, so her children had met her at some family gatherings. She said the effort happened organically — she didn’t know until they came in to say they had made $27 for Paisley on the first day that they were fundraising.
“It just took off from there. And then it kept getting bigger and bigger. And then somebody on our street did a $200 donation,” she said.
After that, she said it got more official. Her niece made a poster and they created a sign with a Venmo link so money could go directly to Paisley and her parents.
“I don’t think they ever expected to get the response from the community that they did,” she said.
Bay said they have been able to see Paisley once since they started selling bracelets. She came by with her parents to surprise them and tell them thank you. She said Paisley was really excited when they gave her some bracelets.
Bay has been out at the stand with her friends almost every day since the project started, including after school, during breaks from school and over the summer. She said people visiting their stand talk about how it is nice to see people doing good, giving her encouragement.
A village of support
Lexie Knapp learned about the effort through her sister-in-law, Killam’s niece, and said it was very sweet and cute to see pictures of what they are doing. Since that point, she said they have driven by multiple times to see “the sweetest little booth.”
Since her daughter’s diagnosis, Knapp said, life is different. She is in a “constant survival mode” through treatments, recovery and isolation to prevent contracting diseases. Neuroblastoma, the cancer Paisley has, is most commonly found in children under 3.
Her diagnosis in October shocked them.
“Your whole world just kind of freezes and you’re just kinda in this whole other reality that you didn’t think that you would ever be in,” she said.
The experience has been isolating because they can’t see friends and family like they did before. But the donations raised by these children have helped her realize what an “amazing village” they have supporting them.
“We’ve had so many people rally around us and that’s been incredible,” she said.
It’s not just the emotional support, but she said the fundraising has significantly helped with the costs that insurance doesn’t cover, specifically feeding supplies and antibiotics.
“These kids, they are really putting in work, like, they are making a huge difference,” she said.
Hearing what they had decided to do led her to cry happy tears for the first time in a long time, Knapp said.
“If Paisley grows up to be anything like them, I will be so proud as a parent. That is just amazing to me, that they’re taking time that they could be playing … (and) dedicating it to my little kiddo,” she said.
Rain or shine
Killam said the kids are out “legit rain or shine,” they stuck an umbrella out when she was encouraging them to come inside. She said they are persistent, not getting discouraged on days when they sell only one bracelet and enjoy the days they are able to send hundreds of dollars to Paisley and her family.
“Their response to something so positive is just really tender,” Killam said.
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