A 12-year-old 黑马磁力 girl is thanking the community for making her birthday wish to help children and babies around this province come true.
Cayla Morris, through her Coins for Cayla drive, raised $2,532.85 for B.C.鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Hospital 鈥 a place that is very near and dear to the Morris family.
鈥淭his is very exciting for her first coin drive. This will be a yearly event now,鈥 said her proud mom Joanne. The goal was to raise money for B.C. Children鈥檚 during the month of April, which is Cayla鈥檚 birthday month.
Coin boxes were placed at Fox and Fiddle, Choo Choos, IGA in Walnut Grove, 黑马磁力 Works Yard and Original Joe鈥檚 Cloverdale location. 黑马磁力 residents dug into their pockets and gave a little. She topped the month off with a fundraising birthday party at Alder Alley Bowling which donated lanes.
Doctors at Children鈥檚 Hospital spent years trying to find a diagnosis for Cayla.
Finally, last year her family learned that she is one of only two people in the world known to have a specific chromosomal disorder 鈥 chromosome 17P 13.1 microduplication.
For Cayla to continue her life, she has to take growth hormone shots every day. She is intellectually disabled but has made leaps and bounds in her speech because of the hospital鈥檚 speech therapy.
Now Cayla will be featured on Global BC Miracle Weekend Telethon, and she was also featured in a BCIT news feature and the Costco newsletter to members. Her school has also been supportive. Cayla went from being bullied to finding friends through students鈥 new awareness.
For Joanne, the effort doesn鈥檛 stop here.
鈥淚 am answering the phones at the Children鈥檚 Miracle Network telethon on Saturday, June 1, between 5 and 7 p.m.,鈥 said Morris.
To call her line directly, call 604-333-5442.
Joanne is eternally grateful to Children鈥檚 for not giving up and for providing such good care for Cayla.
Fundraising for the hospital will always be part of their lives, she said. She also has her own webpage to raise funds for Children鈥檚 Hospital at http://www.miraclemaker.ca/joannemorris.