Resilience and appreciation inspires creativity

AN eight-year-old girl is using her recently established earring business to support organisations that helped her after she diagnosed with and began treatment for neurofibromatosis.

Lethbridge-based Tilly Young was told she had the condition, where tumours form on the brain, nerves and spinal cord, mid-last year and now she’s giving $2 from every sale of her hand made earrings to the organisations that supported her.

Tilly started her first course surgery for neurofibromatosis type 1 the week after her birthday.

The money she’s raised will be split between the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Children’s Tumour Foundation of Australia.

Tilly established her store in early February and after buying all tools, cutters, and equipment herself, she said it’s been an enjoyable way for her to give back to an important cause.

“It’s been fun making different earrings and finding new types I can make like dog paws and things like that,” she said.

“We make polymer clay earrings and studs, and we’re going to start trying to make dangling earrings. We’ve made about 37 different types of pairs.

“I feel really grateful for what people are doing to support it. Everywhere people are offering to sell them at their work or at their place.”

With the help of her parents Stacy Walsh and Stewart Young, Tilly makes an average of 60 earrings each week, with much of her production taking place on Friday evenings into the weekend.

The family organised a fundraiser page for the Children’s Tumour Foundation of Australia with an initial $500 goal.

With their target reaching past the $2500 mark, Mr Young said the response from the community has been incredible.

“Anyone that’s heard about it has just jumped onboard,” he said. “The locals have been more than happy to donate and it was funny how fast the total went up.

“Every day it was like oh my god, more people have donated. A mate of mine’s sister owns a couple daycare centres in Bannockburn who offered to sell some there with gold coin donations.

“It’s been a whirlwind.”

With demand increasing, an Etsy store was established late last month, with Ms Walsh handling social media and making home drop-offs throughout Golden Plains Shire.

She said they’ve always had their children donate part of their pocket money to the Ronald McDonald House Charities or Good Friday Appeal and that she’s proud of her daughter’s ongoing support.

“I think Till’s got such a kind nature,” she said. “Everything she’s going through with her treatment, she never complains, and gets on with it.

“We stayed at Ronald McDonald House when she had her surgeries to start her chemotherapy and they were pretty amazing.

“There’s no cure for NF so I’m really proud she’s wanting to help others when she’s going through her own struggles.”

Tilly’s Etsy store can be found at tillypearltreasures.etsy.com while her CTF fundraiser page is at bit.ly/3L11JmL.