The Glimmer of Hope Foundation is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization that shows girls and boys their strength and beauty through the donation of bald dolls and provides HOPE to families battling childhood cancer. 20% of all proceeds will be donated to continue the support of Ella's Mission.
Ella Catherine Integlia made the sun shine brighter when she came into the world. She was an avid reader, often lost in the world of Harry Potter or any book of her choosing. Surrounded with many loving, loyal friends she was a social butterfly. Ella was caring and sensitive, hysterically crying at sad movies. She loved animals and babies, and fell in love with her first job as a mother’s helper and her honorary “big sister” role to her twin cousins.
Upon her diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 11, Ella wrote a letter to American Girl asking them to create a bald doll, so that girls like her could feel confident, strong and courageous.
Ella lived by the motto “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” And dance in the rain she did. Ella courageously battled leukemia for two and a half years, finishing treatment on June 26th, 2018. She lived life fearlessly, visiting Ireland, spending time with friends, improving her makeup skills, and basking in the sun at Narragansett Beach.
In April of 2019, Ella relapsed. She spent the next four months fighting, awaiting a bone marrow transplant. Due to complications, Ella passed away on August 24th 2019, at the age of 14. She is forever loved, forever missed and forever shines bright.
* Please note that due to the specialty coating and variations in the crystals, the color may differ slightly.