PANAMA CITY — The holiday spirit was alive and well at Jinks Middle School this week as students joined a worldwide movement to shower a dying 6-year-old girl with enough Christmas cards to last a lifetime.
For some students, watching the story of "Little Addie," a Utah girl suffering from a chronic brain condition, was enough to move them to tears.
"When I first saw the video, I sat in the classroom and cried," said Jinks eighth grader Alyna Donelson. "It was telling how it was her last Christmas and all she wanted was Christmas cards."
--- LITTLE ADDIE'S COMMUNITY FACEBOOK PAGE»»
"It made me think how selfish we are," she continued. "It's her last Christmas and all she wants is Christmas cards."
And Christmas cards she has received.
Since Addie's family requested the world share with her the joy of Christmas, the ailing girl has received hundreds of thousands of letters from strangers across the globe, 70 of which came from the students at Jinks Middle School.
"We have been told that we will loose Addie ... mentality before physically," Addie's grandmother wrote in a Facebook post. "She will forget us and the things she knows. Every morning we pray that she hasn't forgotten us in her sleep. This will be Addie's last Christmas. I am asking everyone who sends a Christmas card to send one to Addie."
Kristin Lewis, an administrative assistant at Jinks, was moved by Addie's story and brought the random act of kindness to school literacy coach Tracey Sirmans to facilitate.
--- LITTLE ADDIE'S COMMUNITY FACEBOOK PAGE»»
"Our students reached out and wanted to do something," Sirmans said, adding that the recent spell of violence in the Panama City area has hit home for many of the students. "It's their parents, it's their sisters, it's their brothers, it's their cousins. So whenever we can take a moment to help our students understand the importance of showing gratitude and being generous toward one another, it's a big deal."
The letters aren't the only way the school is giving back this year. Earlier this week, the school hosted a Christmas Extravaganza for its less fortunate students, supplying them with basic items that most would take for granted.
"It's all about giving back," Sirmans said. "At the end of the day, when you set aside grades and standards — these things are important, don't get me wrong — but at the end of the day when it's all said and done, it's all about the child."