Girl, 10, donates proceeds from hats to hospital

By Elissa Eubanks

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Giving to charity isn't unusual in the Thomas family. They've participated in many charitable events including the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's Ride for Kids, the Ronald McDonald House's Olivia Andrews Annual Tab Run and have donated hair to Locks of Love. Daughter Gabriella has soaked it all up, and at 10 years old has decided to give back in her own way.

Gabriella Thomas was born with Torticollis, a condition where her head was tilted toward one side, and at 3 months old, she started getting therapy at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Then, her parents Sharri and Michael Thomas found out she was partially deaf in both ears. She soon got hearing aids and was talking by age 2.

At age 4 or 5, Gabriella began to give away several of her own birthday presents so “other kids could have a happy day,” her mother said. Now, after therapy, Gabriella functions just like any other 10-year-old with hearing aids.

Last summer, Gabriella learned finger weaving, which she describes as a technique where you wrap yarn around your finger and weave it over and over again, at summer camp. Soon after, she received a sewing loom as a birthday gift. The loom was a gift Gabriella kept. She starting knitting wool hats and eventually accumulated a collection.

Sharri Thomas realized how expensive buying wool for her daughter was becoming and sought donations from her area gym. Thomas also reached out to Gabriella's grandmother, who also knits.

"I came into the gym one morning and was telling some of the ladies about it and they donated huge bags, like massive bags of wool," Thomas said. "Then my mom sent us some wool, my mother’s a big knitter and the knitting store she was going to in New Jersey also donated a whole bunch of wool."

In order to give back to the therapists who gave to her, Gabriella decided to start selling her hats and wanted to give the earnings to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Her mom contacted Kate Myers, the foundation program coordinator at the hospital, who in turn told Thomas to fill out an event application to be reviewed by the board.

"Usually we don't have people this age with this passion to give back to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. It was a huge honor to work with them," Myers said. "I thought it was wonderful."

So, Gabriella now sells her hats in front of a Dunwoody Kroger and inside a Dunwoody Curves donating all of the proceeds to Children’s Healthcare. Gabriella is now over the $740 mark in her fundraising.

“I think it’s fun and I like to help sick children,” Gabriella said. She plans to be an eye doctor when she grows up because she likes science.

Gabriella will be presenting a check worth more than $700 next week to The Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation. She plans to continue her philanthropic work for at least another year.

BUY YOUR WOOL HAT TODAY

To order wool scarves and hats made by Gabriella, contact Sharri Thomas at sharri.thomas@comcast.net.