The Elves Chronicle

Remembering Riley

Patti Elliot smiles, seeing the excitement on her son’s face. Normally, 18-year-old Riley Pfannenstiel, who is struggling with a malignant brain tumor, has to lay on the couch, conserving his energy. But tonight, December 24, he sits on the edge of the hearth, his eyes shining, his coat zipped. He has already double-checked to make sure […]

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The Teacher

Crysta Baier felt a sense of well-being as she stepped into the luxury limo with her family. Her 13-year-old daughter Ally looked particularly happy and her husband and 16-year-old son also seemed relaxed. Their dinner at an elegant restaurant and this limo tour of the Kansas City holiday lights was a wonderful gift from The

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The Snowflake Princess

Janna Lopez’s stomach clenched as she answered the phone. Children’s Mercy Hospital was calling and she prayed it wasn’t bad news.  “Your daughter Caroline has been chosen to receive a special Christmas gift,” the hospital social worker told Janna.  Janna dabbed at her eyes, grateful for any good luck. She peppered the women with questions.

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Hope for Anna

It was an ordinary August afternoon for Anna Sarol.  Before starting her gymnastics warm-ups, 15-year-old Anna texted her mom, nurse practitioner Eloisa Sarol, to find out who was picking her up after practice. Anna had loved gymnastics since she was five and was a promising athlete, having won several Kansas state awards.  As she warmed up on

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The Thin Blue Line

A boy who dreams of being a policeman is given his first case It was Christmas Eve morning, and Tashawn’s family was acting coy. Four siblings and their mother, Marquita, looked like they had a secret, but no one shared it with their middle brother/son, 15-year-old TaShawn. Still, he noticed that his family seemed a little

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We’ve Got Faith

An NFL team shows it’s support for it’s biggest fan on Christmas Eve Ever since she was a toddler, Faith Schneider, now 15, has loved the Kansas City Chiefs. A family ritual was visiting just one game a year, but splurging on the best seats the family could find to sit on the 50-yard-line. The

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