Hope Kids offers a modern fairy tale for children with illnesses

LAYTON — Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there lived a princess named Cinderella. One day Cinderella — or Linsey Holley — went to visit a little girl in the hospital. The little girl named Jessenia died of leukemia four months later.

"She's the princess, not me," Cinderella said.

Cinderella was so touched by the girl's plight that as she was leaving Jessenia's bed she talked to Amy Oldham, an executive director of the Utah chapter of Hope Kids. The organization, which helps children with life-threatening illnesses, had called Princess Parties, the company Cinderella works for. So she scoured the land to find sponsors for the party.

Donations came from friends and family she found on Facebook. The Castle let Hope Kids and Princess Parties use their facilities and staff for free while the cake was also donated by Parsons Bakery.

Then and there Cinderella decided to throw a wonderful party for the families of all the other princesses and princes in the land who are under the wing of Hope Kids.

"It's in honor of her and all the little kids who Hope Kids help," Cinderella said.

It was a party like none other. Princes and princesses traveled from far and wide to the land of Layton, just to walk over the bridge into The Castle.

"The whole thing is just magical," said one of the volunteers.

The sound of strings filled the air. The atmosphere was complete with sword fights and magic wands, tuxedos and ball gowns, princess cakes and real doves. Diamonds and balloons littered tables all marked reserved. Little princesses got their makeup done, then sat in the king's throne to get their pictures taken with their favorite Disney princesses.

One princess of the night was Whitnee Stoddar. At 14 months she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. For most of her 4 years of life she's been in and out of hospitals. The Stoddars have been a Hope Kid family for almost a year now.

"It's been hard but we've just learned to grow with it," said her mother, Hanna Stoddar. "We take it day-by-day and minute-by-minute. But it has made us stronger."

Her 12 year-old sister Kortenee Stoddar, her grandmother Julie Ward, and her mother were there to party with her.

"We don't usually get out a lot so this is our time to get out," said Kortenee.

Even though she is in a wheelchair. Whitnee was enjoying it all. Her sister showed her the doves and then took her out of her wheelchair to dance by the French doors.

"This is kind of like our Disneyland," Whitnee's mother Hanna said while watching her daughters. "We can't take her, 'cause it's too far away and there's too many people."

This party has given not just the Stoddars, but all these families a much needed break from the monotony of dealing with a deadly disease.