Guest post by Kelly Green
The toddler years are so much fun. Kids come up with their own style at this age: “that” walk, “those” cute little sayings, and snuggles that won’t quit.
Imagine, though, if your toddler had cancer.
“That” walk is slow and tired some days from radiation, or blood transfusions, or the kidney failure that sometimes occurs. “Those” sayings are often requests to make it not hurt or for a treatment to be DONE. And snuggles, more often than not, melt into pure exhausted sleep from the stress the disease and the treatments put on such a tiny little body.
Daniella, like every little girl it seems, is obsessed with Frozen! We think she’s as pretty as a princess.
Daniella Callazo is two. She’s too young to face all this, but she must. She has neuroblastoma, a very aggressive childhood cancer.
More than anything Daniella wishes to play like a normal kid, but city parks have too many risks for infection or illness. Even the yard behind her house can harbor bacteria that her body can’t fight, along with everything else. To have a safe play space, she needs a yard designed for her with her medical needs in mind. Enter “the original Yard Crasher.”
Miami Springs Mayor Zavier Garcia with Ahmed Hassan, Celebrity Landscaper, and two-year-old Daniella Callazo.
Fans of HGTV/DIY know Ahmed Hassan, Celebrity Landscaper, as the host of the show Yard Crashers for 6 seasons. He heard about this little girl’s dream and, along with Mystic Force Foundation and a host of volunteers and sponsors, is doing everything in his power to make her dream a reality.
Ahmed and Chicago designer Duane Draughon made a site inspection trip to their home in Miami Springs earlier this month with the help of Southwest Airlines. They met with not only Daniella’s family, but Dr DeAngulo at Miami Children’s Hospital who shared how this makeover will help her do what toddlers do: play, jump, and run.
The design has been drawn, the needs have been detailed, and key contributors have set aside their time and offered their talents. The medical part doctors can treat as best they can, but the spirit of a child needs nurturing, laughter and joy to help her heal and build her immune system.
Creation of this one-of-a-kind and medically-acceptable space costs $50,000. That goal is on its way to being met through a funding site (http://bit.ly/DoItForDaniella), but additional support is needed through direct funds and business partnerships. Support Daniella and her dream to be a “regular” little girl… having fun being a toddler.
Social Media: #DoItForDaniella
Ahmed’s channels: @Ahmadandahmed, Twitter
Ahmed Hassan: Celebrity Landscaper, Facebook
Foundation Info: Mystic Force Foundation 501(c)(3) non profit public charity dedicated to raising awareness and desperately needed funds for Childhood Cancer Research www.MysticForceFoundation.com The founder, Silvia Dominguez Vanni lost her own son to neuroblastoma.
