Tinley Park Girl Makes Donation In Lieu of Birthday Gifts

The friends of Ella Beaudry are giving to children fighting cancer. Ella, (age 8) of Tinley Park, inspired by her mom Dawn, decided to ask her friends to bring a toy donation to her birthday party at American Girl Place in Chicago on October 21st. When the party was over, Ella donated more than 30 toys to The Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation.

When asked why she wanted to help the Treasure Chest Foundation, and young cancer patients, Ella’s response was, “I wanted to make sick kids happy.” Ella’s mother said, “I am extremely proud of Ella for doing this on her own for four years in a row.”

“Most little girls want the latest dolls or games for their birthday, but Ella wanted to help kids fighting cancer,” said Colleen Kisel, Founder and CEO of the Treasure Chest Foundation. “I certainly appreciate Ella’s generosity and the toys will benefit the young cancer patients we serve.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 12,500 young cancer patients enduring 20,000 clinic visits each month in 18 states across the nation. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Colleen Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. Ms. Kisel discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 24th anniversary of remission from the disease earlier this year.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s web site at www.treasurechest.org.