Woman helps families of kids with cancer
Carroll resident Ellie Hite loves Christmas.
In the spirit of that holiday, she founded the AngelWorks foundation in 2004 to help families who have a loved one battling a serious illness.
Hite, 48, said she changed her focus to assist families of children with cancer after meeting Joe Friend, a 19-year-old cancer patient.
“For the last month of (Joe’s) life, we took him to radio stations and schools — to anyone who would listen to raise awareness,” Hite said. “That’s when I started learning all the childhood cancer statistics.”
Paula Aquizap said Hite is an Everyday Hero because she has a full-time job as manager of Ohio Online Auction Co. in Gahanna and four children of her own, yet she selflessly devotes hundreds of hours each year to raise awareness and money in the fight against childhood cancer.
“For the last month of (Joe’s) life, we took him to radio stations and schools — to anyone who would listen to raise awareness. That’s when I started learning all the childhood cancer statistics.”
— Ellie Hite
Last year, AngelWorks helped 68 families.
Hite’s personal goal is to make the childhoodcancer-awareness gold ribbon as well known as the pink breast-cancer ribbon, a promise she made to Friend before he died at age 25.