THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
ABOVE: Layton Spalding and one of her Light the Way “Baskets of Light” given to children undergoing grief.
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OAKWOOD — Eleven-year-old Layton Spalding, who starts sixth grade at Bismarck-Henning this week, hopes to be a shining light to other kids.
After all, she loves sunglasses and sparkles.
She is spreading that light by helping others going through grief, youths experiencing the loss of a parent or the impending loss of a parent, and bringing about more awareness to childhood grief.
She has founded Light the Way, which she hopes to make into a full-fledged organization and expand nationally.
Layton founded Light the Way after at age 4 she lost her dad, Stewart Spalding, to brain cancer, and she also lost her grandmother to breast cancer in 2017.
The smiling, enthusiastic girl brims with joy in helping other children deal with their grief like others have tried to help her in her young life.
She’s also had a chance to tell others about her organization through her recent national title in the Princess of America Pageant. The national pageant was in July in Branson, Mo. She was in the junior division. She’s been in a lot of pageants, but this was her second national one.
“I am very proud of myself for winning,” she said.
Layton talked about her organization for her platform in a panel interview. She said what won the judges over was her heart for community service. She said the pageant promotes “A Crown With A Cause.”
Layton’s biggest supporters are her family members: mom Mary Patt Thomas; dad Todd Thomas; and siblings Lillian, Lachlynn, Annistyn, Anderson and Addisyn.
“I have a million thanks to my mom. She has helped me with everything,” Layton said.
Mary Patt said of helping Layton with her organization, “it’s a position I never knew I needed.” She said they’re learning too as they go along.
‘Sun will rise again’Layton said she started Light the Way last year when she was 10 years old because when she was in the hospital sitting next to her dad, prior to him passing away, people would give her stuffed animals and coloring books and they would color together.
“So, that’s why I put in all the things that I put in my baskets that I do,” she said.
Layton takes baskets filled with coloring books, Squishable stuffed animals, games, stickers, pens, crayons and other items to the OSF HealthCare cancer care center in Danville to help other children.
They also will take the health care providers cookies and items to show appreciation for what they do.
Stuffed animals are a big part of the baskets, as Layton said whenever she had a bad day, she just grabs all of hers and she feels better.
“We like to put a sun in every single basket because it represents me lighting your way, and the sun will rise again,” Layton said.
Layton has helped more than 100 children already with her organization. They’ve helped families so far in the Midwest in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. They’d like to expand to other states too.
“Of the kids that we have helped, sometimes we do smaller baskets but sometimes we do bigger ones,” Layton said.
Mary Patt said they don’t meet the kids and families, because it’s personal.
They have an Amazon wish list where people can buy and help donate items for the baskets.
“Platform-wise, we’re building a website,” Layton said. “We’re hoping to expand my platform bigger and bigger, every week, every day, every month.
“We just want to make it bigger. We want to make progress.”
Layton also is going to New York Fashion Week and modeling in September.
Since she won Princess of America Junior Ambassador, she has the opportunity to model for Ava Presley and walk down the runway with all her sister queens, she said.
“I am very excited. Ever since I started pageantry, when I was 8, I always thought it would be so cool if I got to model in New York Fashion Week,” Layton said. “It’s a dream come true.”
She said they also hope to help at least one family there with a basket.
Mary Patt said they might walk over to one of the fire stations or go to another organization to donate one.
Donating baskets can keep Layton busy, but she also still makes time to be with her friends, who, she said, think what she does is amazing.
Mary Patt said they hope to have an event in Danville to tell people about what they’re doing, see if there are families who need help and also seek more donors.
Layton is on Instagram — @lighttheway_withlayton.
Mary Patt said Light the Way is therapeutic for Layton.
“When I deliver a basket to any hospital or organization, I walk out and I just feel like, it’s just so calming. I really hope I just shined a light,” Layton said.
‘My year to take bigger steps’
Mary Patt said there’s a huge need with child grief services. When she looked for agencies to help them with their organization, she found one closest in Indianapolis.
Mary Patt said area agencies and the community mostly serve people who are sick. Neighbors and friends then may help with meal trains and other efforts.
But until someone has a child who goes through grief, she said, “now I think of it differently. Do they have kids? They grieve completely different than adults.”
There’s a children’s population who don’t have services and who aren’t understood, Mary Patt said.
They would also like to do some grief education.
It’s important for them to keep Light the Way going.
“I think she’s got a good thing going. I want it be sustainable. We want it to be something (for) when she’s 30…,” Mary Patt said.
“It’s been great. It’s been fun. It’s been very, very busy and it’s taken a lot of time,” Mary Patt added.
Layton said she can build on it.
Layton said after high school, she’d maybe like to be a pageant director.
“I think I would be really good at that. Either that or an art therapist so I could help people and do art, which are my two favorite things,” Layton said.
She had an art therapist at a children’s hospital and remembers making clay objects.
Layton said she’s excited for Light the Way’s future. They can’t wait to get her website up.
They’ve been taking baby steps, Layton said. They’ve started a photo album of Layton’s journey so far. A lot more is to come.
“This is my year to take bigger steps and get it going ever faster,” Layton said.
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