Georgia girl donates bald American Girl dolls to cancer patients

Bella Fricker has been raising money to donate dolls to young cancer patients. (Fox 5 Atlanta)

A 9-year-old Georgia girl who loves playing with her American Girl dolls has started a bead bracelet business in the hopes of raising enough money to donate special dolls to cancer patients. Bella Fricker, who has more than a dozen of the dolls herself, first noticed the special dolls while flipping through an American Girl magazine, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

The company designed the dolls for children undergoing cancer treatment or suffering from hair-loss conditions.

“We were going to give it to a little girl that is going through chemo,” Bella told Fox 5 Atlanta.

But after seeing the $115 special-order price tag, Bella began brainstorming for a way come up with extra funds.

“I go upstairs, and she’s busted out this table, and put up a sign,” Valerie Fricker, Bella’s mother, told Fox 5 Atlanta. “And I said, ‘What are you doing?’ and she said, ‘Oh I started a business.’”

Bella has sold more than 500 of her beaded bracelets for up to $6 each, and her mom started a Facebook page to help spread the word, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. She also joined “Kids Boost,” a local non-profit that helps children fundraise.

Bella’s proceeds have gone toward buying three dolls so far, one of which went to Norah Adjakpo, who has been battling a brain tumor since April at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s AFLAC Cancer Center, Fox 5 Atlanta.

Bella surprised 8-year-old Norah with a doll around Christmas, and it now accompanies her to appointments and treatment sessions.

“If I have her with me, it’s going to be better,” Norah told Fox 5 Atlanta. “I don’t have to worry about my hair being lost. Because  I don’t have hair, and she doesn’t have hair.”