Alliance girl, 7, receives pool from Make-a-wish after cancer battle
ALLIANCE – Dallas Hollis hopped off the school bus and walked around the side of her house, wearing a pale blue dress and sneakers and clutching the straps of her sparkly, hot-pink backpack.
When she spotted the brand-new above-ground pool in her backyard, the 7-year-old Alliance Early Learning School student couldn't help but jump and giggle with excitement.
“I didn't think it was gonna be that big,” she said with glee, a smile spread across her face.
With her infectious smile and brightly colored clothing, Dallas radiates positivity.
Looking at the vibrant, curly-haired girl, most wouldn't be able to tell she was battling kidney cancer roughly a year and a half ago.
Dallas – who is now cancer-free – had a swimming pool built in her backyard this week courtesy of the Make-awish Foundation and the assistance of several Alliance-area businesses.
‘She definitely had cancer’
Something was wrong.
Sherre Hollis knew her daughter needed medical attention in February 2020 when a large lump appeared on her stomach, and she wasn't able to use the bathroom. She rushed Dallas to the hospital, and doctors realized the young girl needed surgery.
“They knew she definitely had cancer,” Hollis said.
Doctors diagnosed Dallas with a
Wilms tumor. This is the most common type of kidney cancer in children, according to the American Cancer Society, and 500 and 600 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. annually.
Dallas's doctors removed her left kidney, which had been completely taken over by the Wilms tumor.
Soon after, she started a 22-week chemotherapy treatment plan. Throughout the process, she lost all of her hair and 15 pounds. Still, her mother said she never complained.
“She handled it very well,” Hollis said.
Connecting with Make-a-wish
As Dallas continued her treatment, her family got in touch with the Make-awish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The agency grants the wishes of children dealing with critical illnesses.
Hollis said Dallas initially wanted to use her wish to visit Disney World, but couldn't at the time because of the coronavirus pandemic. Her second choice was to have a swimming pool built in her backyard. Make-a-wish approved the request while she was undergoing chemotherapy.
More than a year later, it came time for Dallas to get her pool. Initially, the plan was to put it up on Sept. 27 – Dallas's 7th birthday – but poor weather delayed construction by several days.
When the contractor finally got out to Hollis residence, they ran into another issue. A tree stump in the backyard made the ground not level, preventing them from setting up the pool.
Local companies provide support
After learning that the tree stump would need to be removed before Dallas' pool could be put up, Hollis shared the news on Facebook. She asked if anyone in the area who owns a stump grinder would be willing to help out. She also asked if any local companies with a dump truck would be able to move dirt to make room for the pool.
Dallas May of D&G Stump Grinding, an Alliance-based company, was one of the business owners who responded.
May, who knows Dallas through a family friend, watched her through her cancer battle and wanted to do something nice, given everything she endured. “The little girl is awesome,” May said. D&G Stump Grinding removed the stump free of charge. Additionally, May got another company he works for to provide help. He told his boss at Baird's Tree Service about Dallas' story. The Canfield-based business let May use one of the company's dump trucks to haul away dirt from the property.
“It just makes me feel good that I helped someone out,” he said.
Brad Ferguson of Ferg's Excavation also volunteered his services. Ferguson learned about Dallas through Facebook after several customers and friends sent him Hollis' post asking for help.
“They told me they had some contractors lined up to actually construct the pool and do all that, but they just needed a hand with trucking. We're (located) in the area, and it's always good to help out,” he said.
Ferguson said the situation “hit close to home” for him because one of his cousins went through a difficult battle with an illness.
“For me, personally, a lot of people take for granted the life that we are dealt,” he said. “Some people aren't that lucky, so if we can make it a little better for even a little while, it's worth it to me.”
Hollis was blown away by the community's response and people's willingness to do what they could to make Dallas's wish come true.
“It's amazing what our little town will do,” she wrote in an email.
Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn.