A little girl with a big heart

Ellie Kline loves her birthday, but she usually passes on presents.

Instead, she asks for donations.

Last year, when Ellie was turning 5, she raised money for a local animal shelter. This year, she wanted to donate to a different cause, but needed ideas.

“Being the big-hearted little girl she is, she asked if she could donate to people this year for her birthday,” said her mom, Tara Baxter-Kline, a cardiac technician at Elkhart General Hospital. “Of course, we couldn’t say no.”

Her parents gave her a list of 10 to 15 organizations from which she could choose. After giving it some careful thought, Ellie told her mom she wanted to donate to the kids at Beacon Children’s Hospital.

Inside her birthday party invites, she asked family and friends for donations instead of presents.

And Ellie had a super great party turnout, and an even better turnout on presents and money she used to buy even more toys to donate.

“We were blown away,” her mom said about the bags of coloring books, blankets, pillows and rubber balls they delivered in bags and boxes.

“We’ve never had to convince her or talk her into anything,” Tara said about her daughter’s generous spirit.

“She is always looking to help others. She loves giving presents and making people smile. She is just a kind soul that pours her love everywhere she goes.”

Ellie received a tour on Monday of Beacon Children’s Hospital when she delivered the toys.

“She was nervous at first,” her mom said. “But she really enjoyed seeing where her donations were going. And as I stood back and watched, I might have cried a time or two. As a mother, I couldn’t be any more proud. And she still talks about the tour wherever we go.

Ellie Kline, 6, poses with members of her family — Tara Baxter-Kline, little sister Kelcey, and father, Thomas Kline, after they donated toys to the kids at Beacon Children’s Hospital.

“She truly is a special little girl with a big heart.”