Community surprises 6-year-old Waxhaw girl battling cancer with new playset

WAXHAW, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – If you passed by a certain Waxhaw neighborhood on Friday, you may have heard the sound of power tools, enough of them to turn one backyard into a construction zone.

But there’s a reason for the racket.

“We’re here to create a special day for a little girl who’s battling cancer just to try to brighten her day,” Josh Anderson, of Firethorne Country Club, said.

6-year-old Elly is more than a year into her cancer treatment but if these volunteers have anything to do with it, it won’t be on her mind any time soon.

To accomplish their mission, volunteers from Piper Glen and Firethorne Country Clubs recruited some master craftsmen – themselves.

“I love it, I love being outdoors, I’ve been excited for a couple of months now,” volunteer Erin Smith said.

With a little supervision, the volunteers built Elly a new playset, all in one morning. 

“It may just be a playset but its time they get to spend together!” said construction foreman Rich Langley.

Expert builders were on hand to solve any problems, and soon the playset took shape. Elly’s parents could hardly believe it.

“It’s overwhelming, its awesome all these volunteers!”

As for Elly, she knows somethings coming and she’s trying not to look.

“She’s keeping busy and she’s like, can I come out and we’re like noooo!”

Soon however, the playset was towering over the volunteers, who were almost as excited as Elly.

“When you see her come out these doors in a bit, see this new place in her backyard it’s a special feeling,” said Anderson.

And after a few more adjustments and a lot of well wishes, it was time for just that. Elly didn’t say a lot when she saw the playset, but she quickly got with the business of being a 6-year-old, by climbing all over it.

Which is what all these grown-ups wanted for her in the first place. Elly faces another year of intensive treatment for her cancer.