By Lee Reinsch
Correspondent
DE PERE – Nine-year-old Elianna Manders received recognition Monday, June 17, from the West De Pere school board for earning an award for her work raising money for children with pediatric cancer.
Manders recently received the Big Heart Award from the Children’s Cancer Family Foundation of Northeast Wisconsin.
School board president Jenni Fuss presented Manders with a pin to show the school district’s appreciation.
Childhood cancer is a cause to which the nine-year-old has devoted the last three and a half years of her life.
“Elianna was 5 1/2 when her sister Raina Joy was born with a brain tumor,” said Spring Manders, Elianna’s mother.
Raina Joy had several other health problems, as well, including Down syndrome, hydrocephalus, low muscle tone and heart defects.
Born prematurely at 38 weeks, Raina Joy lived for 38 days before passing away in 2016.
It could be said that Raina Joy is Elianna’s muse, as it’s she who continues to inspire Elianna’s good works.
Elianna’s mission is to provide comfort to pediatric cancer patients, mostly by presenting them with handmade gifts and hairless American Girl dolls, purchased with money she raises herself.
When she was five, Elianna and two friends the same age were browsing through an American Girl catalog when one spotted some dolls with no hair.
Elianna voiced her assumption that the dolls must represent girls with cancer.
The seed for her project thus planted, she set out to put her plan into action: she would raise money to give these dolls to girls with cancer.
“Some kids have lemonade stands; Elianna has art stands,” Spring Manders said.
She paints pictures, makes rainbow rocks called Raina Rocks, creates beaded jewelry in rainbow colors (to represent Raina) and makes “tree treasures,” as well as a variety of other arts and crafts, which she sells.
“I love to create things, and I get to deliver to girls or go to the hospital to see them,” Elianna told a small audience gathered at the West De Pere School District office board room.
She recently made a fleece poncho for a girl with cancer along with a matching poncho for the American Girl doll she presented to her.
Best of all is the feeling she gets when she gives the dolls to girls with cancer.
“I like to see their looks of surprise and just happiness when they see the dolls,” Elianna said. “I like to see them smile.”