Wisdom of Champions - Ali Hornung and Glimmer of Hope

Ali Hornung is the founder of the nonprofit Glimmer of Hope which supports pediatric cancer families, patients and friends. She started the organization after reconnecting with a childhood friend, Ella, who had been diagnosed with leukemia at age 11. Ali herself was only 16 at the time.

Big Things Often Start Small

Ali’s journey is a great example of how big things often start small. Before reconnecting with Ella, Ali had never encountered anyone with pediatric cancer. Ali started by sewing simple hair bows and attaching a leukemia ribbons to them using her Mom’s sewing machine. She raised $1,300 for Ella selling these bows at her middle school. A few years later, Ali competed in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Student of the Year campaign, raising $43,000 in six weeks.

Representation Matters

Ali and Ella grew very close, calling each other “big sis” and “little sis”. Unfortunately, at age 14, after a relapse, Ella passed, leaving Ali wondering how she could continue to share the joy she felt spending time with Ella.

One of Ella’s great passions was for the American Girl doll. When she first started losing her hair, Ella wrote a letter to the American Girl company, asking them to create a bald version of their iconic doll. They replied that they do have one, but at that time, the dolls were not for sale. When Ella finally received one, she named it Hope, which inspired Ali to name her organization “Glimmer of Hope.” Glimmer of Hope donates bald dolls, care packages and other gifts to young people with cancer.

You Never Know How the Dots will Connect

When Ali was eight years old, she performed in a runway show for American Girl. One of her birthdays was celebrated at the American Girl Store in New York City. She even got her doll’s hair done and had a picture of both of them taken for a fictional magazine cover. So when Ali was talking with Ella’s mom, and they were trying to come up with a foundation they could support, the idea of sharing American Girl dolls fit perfectly.

If you’re looking for a way to reach out to others, maybe you have a passion or some special expertise or experience you could share.

Don’t Try to Go It Alone

Fei Wu: You're 20 years old, you're very new to this. You haven't been running businesses for decades. How are you able to raise money effectively and commit to like a schedule?

Ali Hornung: A very valuable lesson that I learned when I was 17 trying to do everything on my own, was that you really do need a team of people to help you. So I have a wonderful associate director that lives in New Jersey, Ali de Forge. She is like my right hand, my partner in crime. We are just two peas in a pod and she does an insane amount to help me.

What About the Haters?

Ali Hornung: It's definitely a balance and it's definitely not always easy. There's definitely people I think that kind of wish that they could be involved and that comes out in kind of a negative way sometimes. But I have to say for everyone who has been negative towards me, there are a thousand more people that have been positive and have had so many amazing things to say, and I just can't really thank my community enough for what they've done for me.

What Should I Do When a Friend is Grieving?

Ali Hornung: I think just letting them know, I'm here for you. And instead of saying, if I can get anything for you, let me know. Just get them something, like bring dinner to them. If a family's in the hospital and a lot of times they get admitted to the hospital and they don't have anything with them because they're not expecting to get admitted. We will send the. Clothes, blankets, underwear. We'll send the parents clothes. We'll send baby wipes. We'll send stuff directly to the hospital, because we know that's such a dire need. And with Amazon, we can send it. We'll get there end of the day. So, I think that's super important, just taking the initiative instead of asking, because no one's gonna feel comfortable saying “I need this right now.”

What Shouldn’t I Say to Someone Who is Grieving?

Ali Hornung: I've talked to a lot of other advocates and they seem to feel the same way as me. Something that really is a huge pet peeve for me is when somebody say that a child loses their battle. I just don't think that children lose their battle. I like to say that they won the ultimate battle. Although I'm not super religious, I do believe in heaven, and I think that was even bigger for me after I went through my own grief process and I'm still going through it. So I think just choose your words very respectfully and tenderly as if you were the person that was going through it.

How has the Glimmer of Hope Project helped you grow as an individual?

Ali Hornung: I've experienced a lot of growth and, one of my favorite, things that I've experienced in particular is my spiritual growth and being comfortable in my own skin and realizing that other people's negativity doesn't affect me. It is a reflection of themselves. Kind of like being in high school again, in a way,where there's cliques and there's a lot of drama and I've just never liked to be involved in drama. But at the same time, I'm a very bold person and I will stand up for others and I will stand up for myself and I'm gonna say what's on my mind.

Written by Adam Leffert