Florida mother, daughters give dolls to girls affected by Helene to ‘rebuild a childhood’
Given the girls’ location in the mountains of western North Carolina, East Tennessee and Virginia, the dolls sent to them are named “Anna the Appalachian Doll."
Florida mother, daughters give 'Appalachian Doll' to family devastated by Helene
Angela Tilsher and two of her daughters give an Appalachian Doll to a girl whose family was affected by Helene. Appalachian Dolls are gently used American Girl dolls that Tilsher and her daughters restore and donate to girls in Helene-stricken western North Carolina, East Tennessee and Virginia.
Amid the ruin, recovery and loss left behind by Helene, many little girls in Appalachia were forced to navigate the grief and heartache of having their world – and childhood – upended.
Their experience resonated with Angela Tilsher, a mother of three daughters, who watched the historic devastation of Helene from hundreds of miles away in Florida.
"My heart broke. It broke for all the families," Tilsher told FOX Weather.
She noted that she felt compelled to take action, and she took inspiration from her own daughters.
The grand mission of a small doll
Tilsher saw how much her daughters loved playing with dolls. Knowing how much the girls affected by Helene had lost – and just months before Christmas – she started an initiative in which she and her daughters would restore gently used American Girl dolls and send them to the girls.
Each free doll came with a puppy to be her companion, a mini Bible to be a word of encouragement for the doll, a hairbrush made specifically for American Girl dolls, an extra outfit and a set of pajamas. The dolls also came with a brochure that told their story – a story of bravery and survival – which Tilsher created to mirror that of the girls receiving the dolls.
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Given the girls’ location in the mountains of western North Carolina, East Tennessee and Virginia, the dolls sent to them were named "Anna the Appalachian Doll."
Kenzie sits among Appalachian Dolls that are packaged in their backpacks and ready to be sent out.
(Angela Tilsher / FOX Weather)
The thoughtfulness behind creating "Anna" extends well beyond her name. For one, each "Anna" comes with a backpack case that would allow her to be easily transported, as many of the girls receiving an "Anna" were displaced by Helene and may be moving from shelter to shelter.
Plus, each doll is chosen specifically for the girl requesting her. American Girl dolls, which can cost over $100 brand new, come in a variety of hair colors and styles, so she tries to match them with the girls requesting them.
"I wanted the child to get something that was like, ‘Whoa, this is just for me,’" Tilsher said. "Not only is it just any doll, but it’s an American Girl doll. And not only is it an American Girl doll, she looks like me. She went through what I went through."
Tilsher noted that having the doll resemble the young girl who would be taking care of her is another layer to say that she’s been seen and that somebody out there cares about her.
How ‘Anna’ helps ease the trauma from Helene
An Anna the Appalachian Doll, standing where several feet of floodwaters stood in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Helene.
(Angela Tilsher / FOX Weather)
By giving girls an "Anna the Appalachian Doll," Tilsher hopes to bring comfort to them as they recover from Helene.
"The fastest way, I think, for children to heal is through play, having something to cuddle, having something to take care of, having something to carry around with you," she said.
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To date, the small but mighty team of Tilsher and her three daughters – Kyree, 18; Kenzie, 11; and Kayleigh, 9 – have sent out 200 dolls.
Young Kayleigh echoed her mother’s sentiment about how the dolls help ease the trauma of the girls, which they still feel months after Helene had passed.
"I like giving the dolls because it helps them not to be afraid of the rain," she said.
Kayleigh stands behind two rows of Appalachian Dolls. Each doll has a piece of paper indicating the name, age and hair color of the girl she will be given to.
(Angela Tilsher / FOX Weather)
Tilsher noted that this fear of rain is something she often reads about in requests for Anna the Appalachian Doll, as rain was the driving force behind Helene’s devastation. Also, she hears stories of girls becoming afraid of trees falling onto their homes and families.
Because of these fears, many of the girls are unable to sleep. With an Anna doll, Tilsher said, they can hopefully find some peace.
"We’re not just handing out toys. We’re trying to rebuild a childhood," she said.
To support Tilsher and her daughters as they send Anna the Appalachian dolls to girls affected by Helene, or to request an Anna the Appalachian Doll from them, be sure to check out their website and join their Facebook group.