There’s nothing that 12-year-old Misheel enjoys more than seeing other people smile. It makes her smile - and giggle.

So when she found herself battling cancer at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the seventh-grader from Springman Middle School in Glenview began making balloon art for others.

Misheel told her story to students at Mechanics Grove School Friday morning as a special guest of Principal Tanya Fergus. The two had met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. On Friday, Misheel and her mother, Undra, brought more balloon creations to share with MG students.

Misheel also shared her story.

Not long after she was diagnosed with cancer, Misheel and her family moved to St. Jude for seven months for radiation and chemo treatment. Misheel’s God-father first taught her how to make balloon art by showing her how to make three basic animals. Misheel picked up all of her other designs from YouTube.

At first, the balloon hobby gave her something to do while recovering from cancer treatment at St. Jude. But eventually, Misheel found a purpose for her new talent. 

“When I came to St. Jude and met the doctors, they all had different smiles. I wanted to keep seeing the different smiles that they had,” she said. So she made them balloon creations.

She made an owl for a nurse who helped with her first radiation treatment. She made a heart for another. Then, when she saw the father of a sick child weeping in the hallway, she decided to comfort him by making a Ninja Turtle out of balloons.

Fergus emphasized the story during the all-school assembly to make sure all of her students heard that right.

“So you started just to give yourself something to do. But then, you saw the joy that it brought to other people,” she said. “Talk about being kind!”

Misheel answered with her trademark “hee-hee” giggle and ear-to-ear grin.

Fergus explained how Misheel would visit other children’s rooms at St. Jude and make them balloon art to cheer them up.

“She brought smiles to every kid’s face when they were feeling scared or sad or worried. That is Misheel, in a nutshell,” Fergus said as she clutched a huge pink and green balloon flower bouquet that Misheel made especially for her.

Now Fergus is encouraging her MG families to help support the mission of St. Jude by hosting a  fundraising event - Penny War. The fundraiser was selected by the MG Student Lighthouse Council.

St. Jude is dedicated to research, prevention and treatment of pediatric catastrophic diseases. Families facing treatment at St. Jude never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food so they can focus on helping their child live.

A year ago, Mechanics Grove raised $5,376 in a Penny War fundraiser. This year, they will hold another Penny War. Students will be encouraged to bring in pennies and dollar bills to earn points for their class. Silver coins, such as nickels, dimes and quarters, will count as points against other classes. All the money collected will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.