Bella and her sisters found a fun and creative way to keep busy when the pandemic kept them, and other schoolaged children around the world, at home for months on end. These fifth- and eighth-graders started making paintable figures out of cement. With their dad’s help, the girls expanded to include beautifully crafted garden statues. These young entrepreneurs even turned it into a business.
This past summer the girls decided to give back in a concrete way to Shriners Children’s Chicago, where Bella has been a patient since she was 5. They delivered ten statues for the hospital’s patient gardens to express their gratitude for Bella’s orthopedic care related to cerebral palsy (CP). Her physician, Kelsey Davidson, M.D., also received a custom Shriners Children’s gnome.
The family’s relationship with Shriners Children’s was set in stone, so to speak, when their dad’s benefits plan rejected coverage for Bella at another hospital, calling her CP a developmental condition. Their physician referred them to Shriners Children’s Chicago, and the family is very grateful for the amazing care provided regardless of their insurance status.
Dr. Davidson has treated Bella, now 10, since 2019. Bella has received multiple leg braces and a tendon lengthening surgery to help her walk more easily.
The sisters keep on giving. At the Chicago Abilities Expo, an event that features products, workshops and adaptive activities for individuals with disabilities, the girls donated paintable figures to all the kids attending. When the event organizer suggested a donation jar, Bella took it a step further. “We’re donating 50% of what we make and giving it to Shriners Children’s at their booth,” she told her dad. At the end of the day, the girls delivered $80 to the Chicago staff, once again happy to give back to the hospital that has helped Bella thrive.
