For most little girls, birthday parties are the highlight of the year, a special day all to themselves to celebrate growing older with their best friends and family.
But this year, seven-year-old Ava Hill has decided that she wants to mark her birthday by giving away all of her presents to children in need of cheering up.
The selfless Scotstown Primary pupil told her mum Kelly that for her eighth birthday on June 29, she wanted to help the youngsters being supported by new children’s charity Jak’s Den, an organisation that offers emotional, social and practical assistance to children and young people affected by cancer and related illnesses.
Mrs Hill and her daughter visited the toy store last week and spent all of Ava’s birthday cash on toys, dresses and more for the charity.
Ava said: “I wanted to donate my birthday presents because I wanted to be kind to others and to help children who needed the toys more than me.
“I makes me feel good to know that I’m helping others.”
Mrs Hill, 34, said she was immensely proud of her daughter’s act of kindness.
She said: “She’s getting too old for younger toys, and too young for the older toys, so I was really struggling with what to get her this year.
“So a few weeks ago, I asked her what she really wanted, and she told me out of the blue that she wanted to donate some toys to children who don’t have any.
“I genuinely thought she would change her mind, but she was absolutely adamant so we went to Smyths and filled a trolley with toys for Jak’s Den.
“I found out about Jak’s Den, and told Ava and she thought it would be a great charity to help.
“It’s such a worthy cause. I know how important places like Jak’s Den are to so many parents, so we were really happy to give them Ava’s birthday toys.”
To find out more about the charity and how it helps children and young people with cancer, visit www.teamjak.co.uk
