Adored Orland Park Girl In Cancer Fight Gets Christmas Lights Delight

ORLAND PARK, IL — While Isla Dorsey is hospitalized, her 3-year-old body fighting hard to fend off an infection, hundreds of hands got to work at her Orland Park home Wednesday, setting it aglow with Christmas lights to delight her when she returns.

Danielle Dorsey, Isla's mother, was near tears as she watched the bustling crew disperse across her lawn, all on a mission to deck the walls—and roof, and lawn.

The Lights and Ladders Brigade, joined by Project Fire Buddies, pulled up to the home, cranked some Christmas tunes, and got started. Firefighters from dozens of departments volunteered to be part of the effort.

"I can't even put it into words, I can't," Dorsey told Patch. "It's absolutely incredible."

Isla was diagnosed in May with rhabdomyosarcoma in her left sinuses, and it has spread to a lymph node on each side, and both of her lungs. Dorsey's daughter has been waging a big fight for a little girl.

"She has had a really rough last 7 months, complication after complication," Dorsey told Patch.

Isla has been taken under the wing of nonprofit Project Fire Buddies, a volunteer-led effort by local fire departments to show support for children battling critical illness. Started in Oak Forest in 2016, the group's momentum continues to grow, expanding now to 30 different departments including south suburban Oak Lawn, Palos, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Midlothian, Homewood, Lockport, Lemont, New Lenox, Evergreen Park, Frankfort and Country Club Hills.

Project Fire Buddies this year fell in step with the Brigade, an effort under the umbrella of the Finley Forever Foundation. The Brigade works as a combined unit of several organizations—The Tom Hopkins Foundation, Christmas without Cancer, and Finley Forever—which come together to raise money and bring cheer to families battling cancer during the holiday season.

Finley Forever Founder Dan Bracken started the foundation, and later the brigade, following the September 2020 death of his 2-year-old daughter Finley, less than a year after she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Firefighters from across three states volunteer their time to decorate the homes of multiple recipients.

"When we were going through our battle with cancer, my dad and brother came over and forcefully made us decorate the house," Finley Forever Founder Dan Bracken previously told Patch. "It was in November, it's the last thing a family's worried about, is decorating the house, when you're dealing with this.

"... Money's great, emotional support's great, food trains are great—everything's great—but what can we do that takes a burden off the family? You never know when your last Christmas will be."

In the thick of Isla's recent complication, Dorsey welcomed the moments of community and holiday spirit. Isla is battling an infection and days earlier underwent a mastoidectomy, in an effort to remove the infection in a bone behind her ear. While she recovers, her chemotherapy will be delayed, Dorsey said.

It's a lot for the mother-daughter team, but they face it together, head-on, Dorsey said. Dorsey is a single mother, having conceived Isla through medical intervention. Dorsey's pint-sized best friend is known for a big personality in her tiny body.

"She's the sassiest little thing you'll ever meet, her sass is going to be what gets her through this," Dorsey said, laughing through tears. "She's so kind. She worries about everyone else before she worries about herself, and she rarely ever complains. I could not get through this without her."

Just three weeks into her battle, Project Fire Buddies made Isla part of their family, Dorsey said.

"They jumped right in, they have been so much support and comfort, and I just, I don't know where we would be without the support of some of these organizations," she said.

Isla's aunt Breanne Clark can't wait to see her reaction to the display when she comes home, and said she's grateful for the organizations' help making her niece's Christmas a little merrier.

"This is something extra. A lot of people give money, and a lot of people give toys—so many toys—but this is just something to take off her plate. I know Isla's going to be so happy when she gets home. I'm super-bummed she's not here today."

Dorsey maintains a Facebook page called Infinite Love for Isla, updating supporters on her condition. The family also has a GoFundMe started for Isla, along with an Amazon wishlist. Dorsey often arrives home to packages off that list.

"I just cry at the generosity," Dorsey said.

Anne Hopkins, representing the Tom Hopkins Foundation, said they've been thrilled to see the support shown the Brigade, and were ecstatic to expand beyond its original premise of homes on the South Side.

"We realized it was a great turnout, a lot of support from the community, and we heard a lot of great feedback," Hopkins said. "We said, 'let's make it bigger, let's expand.' All these firemen, everyone wants to come and volunteer and do this. It kind of grew overnight, and we're so happy to be a part of it.

"It's something so simple, seeing all these lights and all these people decorating ... so awesome."

The group this year was able to decorate 13 homes, including six in the suburbs. Five of the homes were decorated Wednesday evening, with Dorsey's the first stop on the route. Fire departments represented included Oak Lawn, Chicago, Posen, Flossmor, Country Club Hills, Lockport, Orland Park, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Tinley Park, Aurora, Chicago Heights, Cicero, Manhattan, New Lenox, Frankfort and McHenry Township.

Dorsey stood with the flowers she had been gifted, watching as her home was adorned, soaking in the moment and amazed at how many had come out to support her and her little girl.

"So many just amazing people that, you don't want to know you have their support, you never want to find out that they're there, but when they're there, they're there hard," Dorsey said.

"... I will be forever grateful for all of them."