Roc Solid Foundation builds playset for 4-year-old Fayetteville girl with cancer so she can ‘be a little kid again’

By CH News On Oct 21, 2021

FAYETTEVILLE, NC (WTVD) — Lorelei is a 4-year-old girl in Fayetteville with lots of energy and big dreams. She loves talking, unicorns and playing with her little brother.

Unfortunately, Lorelei is not like other little girls. Her mother, Danielle Nickey, said she had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

“It turns your world inside out in that moment,” Nickey said. “We’re in a good place now where she’s stable, and hopefully we’ll all be ready next summer.”

And thanks to the Roc Solid Foundation, Lorelei has a brand new playset in the backyard.

According to its website, the nonprofit has built playsets for nearly 400 families battling childhood cancer this year.

“Not only does a new backyard playset provide a safe, germ-free place to play, but it also gives the child and family an escape from the reality of fighting cancer and a way to create happy memories together,” he said. the website.

Volunteers built Lorelei’s playset in her backyard on Thursday and said she was more than willing to help.

“She has the most energy I’ve ever seen a 4-year-old have,” said James Templeton, a frequent volunteer.

Templeton said he knows that building playsets “cannot cure cancer,” but he sees Roc Solid’s work as valuable to children and their families.

“I believe it helps to beat cancer by giving them hope for a few minutes every day that they are there. They don’t think about cancer. They don’t think about everything that happens in the hospital. They are able to be small again. kids and have fun again,” he said. “It only takes four hours to build a playset, but it will bring back memories that will last a lifetime.”