Rebuilding Elly’s Home After a Lifetime of Loss

Elly Pope is only 12, yet she has already faced more hardship than most adults. At just 3 years old, she survived a traumatic lawnmower accident that took most of her right hand. Then at the age of 5, her mother, Carolyn, was murdered. Elly has grown up without her father in her life due to long‑standing personal struggles with addiction. Through all of this, Elly found safety and stability with her great‑grandmother, Ann Pope.

Ann was her constant. But in 2025, Ann was diagnosed with cancer, and as her health declined, Elly moved in with her guardian, Tori Hayes, who was already raising her grandchildren, Reece and Kennedi. On August 20, 2026, Elly lost Ann — a loss that changed everything for her. Ann left her home to Elly, hoping it would remain her place of comfort and belonging.

The home needs significant repairs after years of deferred maintenance and Ann’s declining health, and the cost of those repairs is far beyond what Tori can manage. With the family scheduled to move in on October 31, funding the work has become urgent. This fundraiser will help make the home safe and functional for the family now, and eventually for Elly to live in on her own when she’s older.

Every donation, no matter the amount — or even sharing this fundraiser — helps turn Ann’s final gift into something lasting and life‑changing.