Ally was a beautiful, vibrant, young teenager that loved cheerleading, the color purple, all things Disney and above all else… Christmas. On June 29th, 2020 at the age of 13, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and given 1-3 years to live. Her cancer fight began at a Children’s Hospital in San Francisco, Ca. She has fluid buildup in the brain which put her on the operating table for a shunt just 3 days later. After a week full of fear and uncertainty, she was sent home and her treatment plan was developed. Her battle had begun…

She spent countless hours and days in the hospital throughout her journey. Some of her hardest moments were sitting in a hospital room too sick to leave her room. She found some peace in watching Disney movies, listening to music, and cuddling with her soft purple blanket.

As a parent of a child with cancer, you would give anything to take it away but there was nothing her father or I could do. We had to take joy in the simple moments:

She woke up from one of her naps with a big grin when she heard her favorite Christmas song playing in the background.

She would get so excited when she would think of Disneyland and say “When are we going back to Disneyland” knowing we had just returned three days earlier.

Her little sister had her 9th birthday celebration in the hospital with Ally. The nurses pulled together gifts and decorations before she arrived so little sister could spend her last birthday with her big sister. Ally loved directing the decorating and made sure little sister would like the cake.

In July 2022, we knew Allyson’s battle was coming to an end. We decided to throw her a Christmas in July party after returning from our final Disneyland trip. This is how Ally’s Elves was born. The party focused on a toy drive for the Children’s Hospital. If we could bring a moment of joy to those kids and families that needed it the most, then something good had come out of a nightmare. We will continue to find the good and spread Ally’s love through this world.

In honor of our Allyson, our mission is to spread her love and memory with moments of joy for those children and families facing an impossible situation.

The first Ally’s Elves event was held in July 2022. The Christmas in July party was a great success. Hundreds of toys, for kids of all ages, were donated to the Children’s Hospital. We filled up a large SUV and pickup truck with all the donations. Ally was able to enjoy seeing all her friends and family while gazing upon Christmas décor inside and out. She met Santa and a Christmas cow (reindeer get too hot in July). She was happy.

Ally received her angel wings on September 4th, 2022.

April 2023: It wasn’t until this moment that her father and I realized the impact this event had on the hospital families. We received a call from a friend working at the hospital and she told us about a little girl she had just met that needed some joy. She was all decked out in purple and loved Disney. Our friend immediately thought of Ally and went to bring her a toy to lift her spirit. It was a profound moment for us and we thought “Something good has come out of the loss of our daughter”. We had to continue on…

Christmas in July 2023 was amazing. As you can see from the photos we almost tripled the toy donation from 2022.

From the hospital we have heard numerous stories of the joy and love we are all spreading. One such story really shows the impact cancer has on the entire family. A little girl was waiting for her sister to finish her treatment and becoming quite restless. One of the social workers went to grab one of Ally’s Elves toys which immediately turn the little sister’s mood around and gave some relief to the parents. One toy may not seem like much but in the middle of fighting cancer it can provide just a moment of peace. Help us continue to support all those affected by the fight…