Girl raises money for sick friend and classmate
Girl raises money for sick friend and classmate
A 7-year-old Chandler girl has a lofty goal and vision, not for herself, but for her friend.
Kiana Banks, a first-grader at Chandler's Hull Elementary School, wants to raise $100,000 for her friend and classmate Amber Fernandez, who is battling acute myeloid leukemia and scheduled to undergo a bone marrow transplant next month.
Kiana, 7, told her own mother she wants one thing for her birthday —which was Thursday — and one thing for Christmas:
"I want Amber to get better and be able to come home," she said.
Amber, the daughter of Ben and Kelly Fernandez of Chandler and a second-grader in teacher Brittney Soenen's class, is a patient at Phoenix Children's Hospital currently undergoing her third round of chemotherapy. Symptoms of the disease include fatigue, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding, and increased risk of infection. The disease can progress rapidly and can be fatal within weeks or months if left untreated.
Kiana, who likes to draw and go shopping with Amber, hasn't been slow to act on her fundraising plans. The first fundraiser was held Nov. 11 at Marley Farms in Gilbert, in which 100 percent of the day's proceeds went to Amber's family to help cover the bone marrow transplant. Those in attendance got to participate in hay rides, visit the petting zoo and take part in other activities where various vendors will be set up.
Then, on Dec. 10, Skateland Chandler will donate $1 from each admission that day to Amber's family. The event for Amber is from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., but proceeds from the entire day will be donated for Kiana's cause.
All of that is leading up to an overall effort by the 150 second-grade students at Hull Elementary School — they are putting together a quilt of 165 squares to give to Amber for Christmas.
Each quilt square will symbolize an activity that its designer is known for or known to do with Amber such as sports or shopping.
The quilt, which will be put together by Eagle Wings Quilting Store in Casa Grande and will be made of materials donated by the business, originally started out as a project by 20 of Amber and Kiana's friends, but once word spread about the project, the whole grade now is supporting it.
Kiana's mother, Keshia Banks, said that her daughter's project is a testament to how one person can help make a difference and wants to help get the word out to others who may want to help.
"Kiana wants to do something for her Amber that will give her strength and courage," Keshia Banks said.
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- Posted on November 13, 2011
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awww thats so sweet. I'm going to do the same thing for people with sickness. its sad that they have the sickness but at least they have someone helping them.
That is truly a blessing. Having a friend care about a sick best friend that much to help her get better and raise money. She is a friend I would depend on all my life if I had a best friend like that. Something good is coming her way because of how giving she is to others.
This is very outgoing and kind of her; helping her friend get though this cancer. That shows hjust ow much of a friend she truly is.
That is so amazing!!! that a 7 year old can do that for someone she cares about so much,i would do the same thing for my best friend she was very injured and me and my other friend went to see her to tell her it's okay and nothing gonna go wrong.This is my favorite story.
I think that is so wounderful I know I would do that for one of my close friends. Its so cute how people would do that. she's a true friends
That is so wonderful. I would do the same thing for my friend if she had any type of cancer or if she was hospitalized for a long time.
Awwwww this is so cute from a friend like her i would also do that for my friends also.Even if some people are mean to us i'll still do it for them.
I think this really says something about kids these days and how mature and selfless they really are. A stereotypical kid is one who only thinks about themselves and want everything for them and only them. But this shows that if kids see someone in need they are not afraid to go out of their way to try and make their day better. Its not only kiana who is this way, not every kid is selfish.
Stories like these are breath taking to me. A seventh grader knowing what her friend is going through and the results of how hard her fight can be at times and wanting to help her friend in anyway possible, that's just amazing. Fundraising takes a lot of thought and time and this little 7 year old girl had everything all planned out of how where and when she wanted to fundraise. Knowing someone that you're so close with that's sick can really hurt you seeing them in so much pain. You want to do anything and everything possible to help them and their families get through whatever they need. Getting so much treatment and surgeries costs a lot of money, sometimes people may have to pay by the slim of money that they have and it can just be stressful for everyone. This 7 year old is very inspirational and will go along way with and for her friend.
I think that is cool that students raised money for sick friends. I would do that for my friends that would want people to do it with me.