Amy Byford caught her first glimpse of the giving spirit of her daughter, Sarah, in 2017 during an emotional drive from the hospital to their home in Victoria.

Amy had just found out her five-year-old, who had various health issues, would require surgery to repair a hole in her heart that had been there since birth. Amy was consumed by her thoughts when a voice broke through.

“Do I look sick?” Sarah asked.

“Not really, but it’s on the inside,” said Amy.

“Well, can I have a spicy juice stand for all the kids who really are sick?”

It took a moment for Amy to realize that the “spicy juice” in question was a lemonade stand, and another moment to realize this wasn’t a fleeting idea; Sarah was determined to run the stand in a matter of days, not weeks.

Despite the short notice and cold, rainy weather, the community came out to support Sarah’s effort. She raised $1,300 for children at the hospital where she received treatment. And that fundraiser was the start of many to come.

“I Got It”

Sarah, now 12 years old, is known for her many fundraisers in the community. Her heart successfully repaired in 2019, she has collected 250 stuffed bears for kids at the Children’s Hospital Foundation in Victoria; made gift baskets and cards and designed golf towels and T-shirts to raise money; sold candy and hot chocolate, using the proceeds for the Ronald McDonald House; spent her birthday money for people in need; and organized raffles and bottle drives for charity.

“I want to help children and make them smile,” says Sarah.

One of the organizations that have benefitted from Sarah’s efforts is The Salvation Army.

Amy, a mother of four who works full-time, appreciates the Army’s work and occasionally purchases clothes for her children at the Salvation Army thrift store. 

“They’re always there,” says Amy. “They have food banks, and if there’s a disaster, they’re there to help with food trucks. They’re around whenever someone needs them.”

Last year, Sarah collected school supplies and purchased new items for The Salvation Army’s backpack program. With her mother’s permission and a budget of $200, she picked out backpacks, toiletries, clothes and anything else children would need for school.

“Sometimes I feel as if God works in mysterious ways, because when we were at the cash, Sarah realized she went over her limit,” says Amy. “This lady was so touched by Sarah that she paid for the rest, about $60, and said, ‘I got it.’ ”

“Have Faith”

Sarah has also volunteered at the Salvation Army kettles with her mother, organized items for the Army’s toy drive and purchased toys for the hampers last December with her own money.

“We are very encouraged by Sarah’s humble generosity,” says Jared Braun, executive director of The Salvation Army in Fort St. John, B.C. “She doesn’t do it for the attention, she just genuinely wants to help others.

“It inspires us to have all ages standing with us in the work we do in the community.”

Sarah is the youngest of the four siblings, but her mother says she is “wise beyond her years.”

“I guide her and support her when she gets these ideas to help people, but sometimes she’ll tell me stuff from the Bible that I’ve never even told her, and when we had that first fundraiser and I didn’t think anyone would come, she told me to ‘have faith,’ ” says Amy. “And I wonder, Where do you get this stuff?”

Stopping at Nothing

The Byford family had been attending church prior to the COVID-19pandemic but have been watching services online ever since as Sarah is immune-compromised.

“I have to pick and choose where to take Sarah because I have to be very careful with her health,” explains Amy.

Thankfully, Sarah’s condition has stabilized since her surgery. “You wouldn’t even know she has health problems,” says Amy. “She won’t let anything stop her—especially when it comes to giving … she’s always been like that.”

Melissa Yue Wallace is a journalism graduate and freelance writer who is passionate about helping people in need and encouraging the organizations that work tirelessly to care for them. Melissa lives in Richmond Hill, Ont., with her husband and twin children.

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