Meet Ella Mahnke, Age 10, Ella Smith, Age 12, and Nathalia Hawley, Age 14, who are all battling forms of cancer.
The three girls and their parents met while receiving treatment at Essentia Health Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota. They are supporting each other and relating to what each friend is going through as they all bravely fight to beat cancer.
Ella M. is an incredible 4th grader at Bayview Elementary and dreams of someday swimming with sharks. Ella S. is from Cook, Minnesota and loves art, animals and nature. Despite missing all of the 5th grade due to cancer treatment, she obtained the highest reading test scores in all of her 6th grade class. Nathalia is a baker at heart and has supplied many beautiful and delicious baked goods to the entire 8-West staff and nurses at Essentia.
Their parents are thankful to have their own bonded friendship as well. “We are all making it through this together” – they say.
It’s helpful for their girls to have friends and a sense of normal and comforting to have other single parents who can relate to their child being diagnosed with cancer. Together is truly better.