Emma Allred had big dreams... and none were for herself.
She could have had anything she wanted, gone to any exotic locale, met a rock star or blown a boatload of money.
But Emma Allred, only 13, and battling cancer, had bigger dreams, and none were for herself.
She wanted to help. In a very big way.
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The Idaho girl, who has been fighting a rare form of ovarian cancer since she was 10, was granted her heart’s desire by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
It took her a while to figure out exactly what that was. “I didn’t know at first, so I prayed to God and he told me to feed the homeless,” she told InsideEdition.com on Monday.
And so, with the organization’s help, she did.
At a recent food drive at a park in Twin Falls, people donated more than 13,000 pounds of canned and boxed food.
“I tried to get her to go to Disney World again, because our first family trip there was the month we found out she had cancer. She wasn’t feeling well,” said mom Nina Allred.
Maybe if they went back, “she would have a much better time,” mom thought.
Nope. That wasn’t in Emma’s plans, the ones she said she got from on high.
She wanted a giant picnic with games and fun and food. She wanted to collect a massive amount of food for the needy. She wanted to do something good.
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Hundreds showed up at a local park on Oct. 1, lugging bottled drinks, cans of soup, boxes of pasta meals. Albertsons grocery store chain, local food groups and the fire department donated truckloads of food.
Make-A-Wish supplied face painting artists, popcorn, cotton candy and individual bags containing tooth brushes, toothpaste, blankets and sleeping bags – dopp kits of sorts for those without homes.
Various local food banks are helping distribute the donated items to folks who need them.
Emma admits to feeling a little “overwhelmed” by the turnout of people and donations.
Her mother feels great pride at her daughter’s selflessness.
“Her first reaction was to think of others,” Emma’s mother said, "and that's very humbling."
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