Children with cancer gifted bald dolls for support amid treatment

A group of New Jersey children with cancer were given dolls that look like them to lift their spirits.

News 12 Staff

Jul 21, 2022, 12:29 AM

Updated 804 days ago

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A group of New Jersey children with cancer were given dolls that look like them to lift their spirits.
The Glimmer of Hope Foundation made Gianna Harper feel like a princess with a makeover, a new dress and a new doll that looks just like her.
Jennifer Diamond, her mother, says things have been difficult for her daughter since her cancer diagnosis.
“My daughter had to lose her leg just to survive…so it wasn't easy,” she says.
The event was also a break for Gina Anthony and her 2-year-old daughter Georgia, who is going on her 19th week of chemotherapy.
“This is a community that you never want to be a part of, but once you're a part of it, it's amazing — the outreach, the support,” Anthony says.
The Glimmer of Hope Foundation was founded in honor of Ella Catherine Integlia, an 11-year-old girl who died of leukemia.
Ali Hornung, Ella’s friend and the founder of the organization, made Ella's one wish into reality.
“After Ella passed away, I talked to her mom and asked her what she would want her legacy to be, and she told me that she wrote a letter to American Girl asking them to create a bald doll,” she says.
Anthony says this experience was especially meaningful to her and her daughter, who know what's will come next in her course of treatment.
“We are on our way to losing our hair, it's been coming out. So, it'll be really nice to have that representation. She can see a doll that's just like her,” Anthony says.
The Glimmer of Hope Foundation has gifted over 400 bald dolls to children with cancer in 15 countries.