Most little girls dream of becoming a princess for a day – especially on their birthday.
But for her eighth birthday, Ella Ray Lewis only wanted the one thing she’s never had: a party.
Both wishes came true for the Surrey girl Friday night thanks to an outpouring of support from her community. Ella Ray, who has spent much of her young life in a hospital, was all smiles when she walked into a party full of clowns, princesses and face painting at the Crown Palace in Surrey.
“All my friends are here and it’s just really fun,” the exuberant eight-year-old said.
Ella Ray was born with large congenital nevus, causing painful birth marks to cover a third of her body. She has bravely endured 30 surgeries so far, and there’s more on the way. With so much time spent recovering, she has never had a proper birthday party.
“It takes so much courage to go into an operating room when you’re a little girl, it just looks so giant and so scary,” said Ella Ray’s father Craig Lewis. “And yet with everyone behind us, and all the helpers making good days that would have been a bad day…everyone around you is supporting you.”
One of the people supporting Lewis, a single father, and Ella Ray is Nikita Graham, who organized the party, sourcing donations and sponsors despite only meeting the family by chance a few months ago.
“There was something about her and the story behind her and what she’s gone through,” said Graham, a children’s entertainer. “When I look at her and I see the smile and the way her eyes light up, she’s gone through so much in life, and she still wants to run around and sing and play… she inspires me.”
Ella Ray’s real birthday is on Dec. 29, but even though the party was a few weeks late – she was still feeling on top of the world.
“Pretty good, but just from running around it’s pretty tired,” she said with a laugh.
The party means more than just a one-night event. Graham managed to raise just under $2,000, with half of that covering party costs and the other half going to the Lewis’ to help out with Ella Ray’s upcoming surgery.
“This party was a way of a girl saying, I’m going to give you courage to go into the next operation,” Lewis said. “God bless her.”
The eight-year-old heads back into surgery at the end of the month. Graham is still raising money to help cover medical and day-to-day costs, and those wanting to donate can visit a website set up especially for Ella Ray.
With reports from CTV Vancouver’s Julie Nolin and Scott Roberts.
