ALWAYS
ALWAYS STRUGGLED WITH WAS BECAUSE OF ALL THE STEROIDS AND THE
TREATMENT IT REALLY
EFFECTED HER
APPEARANCE, AND ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT
REALLY SPECIAL TO HER
WAS WHEN PEOPLE
WOULD COME UP TO HER
AND SAY CLAIRE, YOU ARE
BEAUTIFUL.
IN OCTOBER, WE
BROUGHT YOU THE STORY
OF CLAIRE ELLIOTT.
A 9-YEAR-OLD GIRL FROM
EAGLE WHO WAS
BATTLING DIPG, A DEADLY
BRAIN TUMOR.
HER MOM ANNIE KNEW
HOW MUCH SHE LOVED
THE HOLIDAYS, AND
WANTED TO GIVE HER AN
EARLY CHRISTMAS
BECAUSE HER TIME WAS
SHORT.
THE COMMUNITY RALLIED
AROUND THE FAMILY TO
MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SADLY, CLAIRE PASSED
BEFORE THE BIG
CELEBRATION PLANNED
FOR HER IN NOVEMBER.
THIS WEEK, I SPENT SOME
TIME WITH CLAIRE'S MOM
TO FIND OUT HOW SHE IS
HONORING HER LITTLE
GIRL'S MEMORY, AND AS
YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE,
SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP TO
MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I
I COULDN'T GET OUT OF BED, AND EVERYTHING WAS SO HEAVY THAT I
COULDN'T EVEN MOVE.
ANNIE ELLIOTT IS TALKING
ABOUT BEING ON A
ROLLERCOASTER OF GRIEF
SINCE LOSING HER 9-
YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S
EVERYWHERE, EVERY
SINGLE TIME YOU BREATHE
YOU FEEL GRIEF AND IT'S
NEVER GOING TO GO
AWAY BECAUSE THERE IS A
HOLE INSIDE YOUR HEART
THAT IS NEVER GOING TO
GET FILLED AGAIN.
THE HOUSE IS FILLED WITH
CLAIRE'S PHOTOS AND
MEMORIES, AND THAT
BRINGS HER SO MUCH
COMFORT.
BUT, DURING THIS TIME
OF GRIEF, THIS MOM HAS
ACCOMPLISHED
SOMETHING HUGE.
I DECIDED THAT I WANT
TO KEEP CLAIRE'S
MEMORY ALIVE BY
STARTING A NON PROFIT
FOR HER,
IT'S THE SUNSHINE FOR
CLAIRE FOUNDATION.
WE ARE OFFICIALLY AN
IRS EXEMPT 501C3 SO I'M
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT
THAT.
ANNIE PLANS TO PUT
TOGETHER CARE
PACKAGES FOR CANCER
WARRIORS LIKE CLAIRE,
AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
WHEN WE STARTED
GETTING GIFTS FROM THE
ENTIRE COMMUNITY
FROM THE ENTIRE
NATION, WE STARTED
PUTTING THEM IN HER
ROOM...
ALMOST EVERYTHING
YOU SEE HERE IS BRAND
NEW IT'S NEVER BEEN
PLAYED WITH, SHE JUST
NEVER HAD THAT
OPPORTUNITY... AS PART
OF THIS GIVING BACK
WITH THE CARE PACKAGES
I WILL BE USING A LOT OF
THE ITEMS THAT GOT
DONATED TO US.
SHE ALSO WANTS TO HELP
FAMILIES WITH A NEW
DIAGNOSIS FOR THEIR
CHILD NAVIGATE THE
OVERWHELMING
PROCESS.
OVERWHELMING PROCESS. YOU ARE GIVEN THIS
DIAGNOSIS AND YOU'RE
GIVEN THIS LIST OF
RESOURCES AND THEN
YOU ARE LIKE I HAVE TO
GO TO 16 DIFFERENT
WEBSITES SO I CAN GET
THE SERVICES THAT I NEED
AT HOME, AND I WANT TO
DO THAT... FOR THE
FAMILIES SO THEY CAN
JUST FOCUS ON TAKING
CARE OF THEIR KIDS.
BUT, THE SUNSHINE FOR
CLAIRE HEADLINE EVENT
IS PLANNED FOR MAY,
AND THE WHOLE
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY IS INVITED. MAY 17TH IS DIPG DAY IN IDAHO, TO RAISE
AWARENESS OF THIS
DEADLY CANCER. ANNIE
HAS ORGANIZED A 5K FUN
RUN TO RAISE MONEY
FOR CLAIRE'S
FOUNDATION.
WE DECIDED TO HAVE IT
ON MAY 16TH.
IT'S A 5K AND A ONE MILE
RUN FOR KIDS...
IT WILL BE AT REED
MERRILL PARK AND IT'S A
BEAUTIFUL DOWN AND
BACK
BACK ON
BACK ON THE GREEN BELT. FOR THE KIDS IT'S A LOOP...
WE ARE CALLING IT THE
GOLD RUN AND GOLD IS
THE CHILDHOOD CANCER
RIBBON SO WE'RE
ENCOURAGING EVERYONE
TO COME DRESSED IN
GOLD, AND IF YOU CAN
BRING SOMETHING THAT
CAN COME IN OUR CARE
PACKAGES, BRING A
BOTTLE OF SHAMPOO OR
A CHARGER OR A POWER
PACK, BRING SOMETHING
THAT WE CAN GIVE THESE
FAMILIES SOMETHING
THEY MIGHT NOT THINK
THAT THEY NEED WHEN
THEY ARE RUSHING OFF
TO THE HOSPITAL.
ANNIE MISSES HER
DAUGHTER SO MUCH, BUT
CREATING THIS
FOUNDATION HAS
BROUGHT HER SOME
PEACE.
WHENEVER I STARTED
WORKING ON THE
FOUNDATION I FELT
CLOSER TO CLAIRE IN A
WAY
WAY THAT
WAY THAT I KNEW THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING
THAT
THAT WAS
THAT WAS GOING TO MAKE HER HAPPY AND LITTLE BY LITTLE IT FILLED
MY HEART, AND I KNEW
THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT
PATH AND THAT THIS WAS
SOMETHING THAT WE
WERE GOING TO DO
TOGETHER. HER FROM
HEAVEN AND ME RIGHT
HERE.
ANNIE ELLIOT...
I SO WANT TO GIVE BACK
TO THIS COMMUNITY AND
I SO WANT TO BE A PART
OF IT...
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
I KNOW WOULD MAKE
HER HAPPY.
SEVEN'S HERO.
IF YOU WANT TO BE A
PART OF ANNIE'S EFFORT,
YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR
THE MAY 16TH GOLD RUN
RIGHT NOW! FOR MORE
INFORMATION ON DOING
THAT AND GETTING
INVOLVED WITH THE
SUNSHINE FOR CLAIRE
PEDIATRIC CANCER
FOUNDATION, GO TO THIS
STORY ON KTVB.COM.
HI RICK
HI RICK