This is the story of one girl, two women and a cupcake.
It is a story of light in the dark, and the influence that one person can have on thousands.
Anya was a 12-year-old girl in my church congregation. In 2012, she was diagnosed with an aggressive bone cancer that required total hip replacement and multiple rounds of chemo and radiation.
Through it all, she attended school, made friends and spread her cheerful smile throughout the community.
When it became clear that she wasn’t going to make it, a woman in our ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lori Kolberg, asked Anya’s mother if there was an experience Anya would like to have.
Her mother mentioned that Anya was a longtime fan of baking shows. Could Lori set up a tour of the popular new cupcake shop that opened down the street?
Kolberg went to work. She crafted an email and sent it to Nadia Cakes, where the owner, Abby Jimenez, had an established mission of helping sick children and families in need.