- Children in Bountiful are selling bracelets to support 2-year-old Paisley Knapp, who has cancer.
- Funds aid Paisley's neuroblastoma treatment costs, with community rallying around her family.
- Efforts have raised significant funds, inspiring emotional support and gratitude from Paisley's family.
BOUNTIFUL — A group of young children goes outside almost every day to set up a stand and sell bracelets and other things they make — but not to earn money for themselves. They are raising funds to help a young cancer patient.
Bay Killam, 13, said they were hanging out one day and decided to sell bracelets, something they had done before, but decided to give the money they received to a 2-year-old girl with cancer — Paisley Knapp.
"It feels really nice because we know we're doing something good for her and her family," Bay said.
Kimberly Killam, Bay's mom, said Paisley is related to her niece, so her children had met her at some family gatherings. She said the effort happened organically — she didn't know until they came in to say they had made $27 for Paisley on the first day that they were fundraising.
"It just took off from there. And then it kept getting bigger and bigger. And then somebody on our street did a $200 donation," she said.
After that, she said it got more official. Her niece made a poster and they created a sign with a Venmo link so money could go directly to Paisley and her parents.
"I don't think they ever expected to get the response from the community that they did," she said.
Bay said they have been able to see Paisley once since they started selling bracelets. She came by with her parents to surprise them and tell them thank you. She said Paisley was really excited when they gave her some bracelets.
Bay has been out at the stand with her friends almost every day since the project started, including after school, during breaks from school and over the summer. She said people visiting their stand talk about how it is nice to see people doing good, giving her encouragement.
A village of support
Lexie Knapp learned about the effort through her sister-in-law, Killam's niece, and said it was very sweet and cute to see pictures of what they are doing. Since that point, she said they have driven by multiple times to see "the sweetest little booth."
Since her daughter's diagnosis, Knapp said, life is different. She is in a "constant survival mode" through treatments, recovery and isolation to prevent contracting diseases. Neuroblastoma, the cancer Paisley has, is most commonly found in children under 3.
Her diagnosis in October shocked them.
"Your whole world just kind of freezes and you're just kinda in this whole other reality that you didn't think that you would ever be in," she said.
The experience has been isolating because they can't see friends and family like they did before. But the donations raised by these children have helped her realize what an "amazing village" they have supporting them.
"We've had so many people rally around us and that's been incredible," she said.
It's not just the emotional support, but she said the fundraising has significantly helped with the costs that insurance doesn't cover, specifically feeding supplies and antibiotics.
"These kids, they are really putting in work, like, they are making a huge difference," she said.
Hearing what they had decided to do led her to cry happy tears for the first time in a long time, Knapp said.
"If Paisley grows up to be anything like them, I will be so proud as a parent. That is just amazing to me, that they're taking time that they could be playing … (and) dedicating it to my little kiddo," she said.
Rain or shine
Killam said the kids are out "legit rain or shine," they stuck an umbrella out when she was encouraging them to come inside. She said they are persistent, not getting discouraged on days when they sell only one bracelet and enjoy the days they are able to send hundreds of dollars to Paisley and her family.
"Their response to something so positive is just really tender," Killam said.
Simone Peterson, 11, said they will stay out at the stand for hours, taking turns to eat dinner or bringing dinner to their stand to keep it open. She said they have more people stopping at their stand now that they are raising money for Paisley.
Kenzie Killam, 11, said the friends are driven to be out there so frequently because they know it helps. One day, they raised $500, and later learned that was enough to cover antibiotics and feeding tubes for Paisley for a month.
"After that, our goal was every month we're going to try to get around $500," Kenzie said.
But it's not about the amount of money, they said, but the "amount of love and care that we put into it."
'Paisley do it!'
Knapp said their mantra, and what is used on the booth's signs, is "Paisley do it" because that was something Paisley would say as she was learning to be independent. Now, it has a larger meaning for their family as people shout it in encouragement in videos sent to them.
"So many people are rooting for her, and she says all the time how many teammates she has," Knapp said.
Knapp said Paisley did not have typical symptoms. Her parents initially took her to the emergency room for a swollen eye, but a scan didn't show any reason. Paisley woke up the next day with pink eye and a test ordered by a pediatrician led to her diagnosis. Her cancer is in her bones and bone marrow.
Her mom said the "universe was taking care of her" by sending her to the doctor again.
In addition to the bracelets, the girls are selling pins that were initially designed for Paisley's nurses and doctors so she could recognize the caregivers she had seen before. The girls were taught how to make the pins, and now more people can join her honorary caregiver team.
The family has also started a GoFundMe campaign* to give more people the ability to support Paisley.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
