Meet Salood Ambassador Collins Smith
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and this year is particularly meaningful for us at Piccolina as we joined forces with Salood, a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to families impacted by childhood cancer. Our favorite part about the collaboration was working with Salood Ambassador, Collins Smith, who helped us design a hoodie with 50% of the proceeds going towards Salood.
Collins is a brave and vibrant 10-year-old who beat cancer, not just once, but twice! She was first diagnosed with Wilms' tumor, a rare type of cancer that primarily affects children, when she was three years old. A year later, her cancer relapsed to her left lung. After several rounds of chemotherapy, surgeries to remove her right kidney and a portion of her lung, and with the help and support of her family and her medical team, Collins was able to make a full recovery. She is now sharing her story to inspire others, especially other children with cancer. "I hope that others with cancer realize that they can pursue their dreams," she said. "Since completing my treatment over 5 years ago, I've loved being back in school with all my friends, being able to go back to church and traveling and playing golf. I play in Junior PGA tournaments now and love it!"
Left to right: Collins before her first round of chemo. "Her dad, Clint, and I were terrified, but she was smiling," her mom Kim said; Collins wearing her beads of courage after she had completed treatment. Each bead represents a poke, treatment, overnight stay, etc. Hers is over five feet long; Collins and her best friends at the beach this year.
While she dreams of becoming a pediatrician or a professional golfer when she grows up, Collins also counts fashion design as one of her passions. "I became interested in fashion design because I love playing with my dolls and creating different clothing for them with scraps and pieces of fabric. It was so incredible to work with Piccolina to co-design a sweatshirt that can be worn year-round by both girls and boys."
Salood Co-founder Joshua Castillo shares, "When we were in the process of selecting a brand ambassador, what made Collins stand out was her incredible story and how positive she was. We are delighted that Collins was able to employ her creativity and passion to co-design such a fun garment to raise funds for families with pediatric cancer." Piccolina Founder and CEO Heide Iravani adds, "Piccolina's mission has always been to support children in pursuing their dreams, and we're so happy this partnership has allowed Collins to realize one of hers."
Collins and her brother, Jaxson, in their Piccolina x Salood hoodies. "I was drawn to the rainforest print because I love animals. The golden yellow details represent the golden yellow ribbon for childhood cancer."
