While most eight-year-olds want a video game or an iPad on their birthdays these days, one little girl from Vancouver, Canada has something else on her mind for her big day. She wants to help sponsor a refugee family from Syria to start a new life in Canada.
Addie Tinholt is a homeschooled kid whose Facebook page shows a very typical young girl's interest in My Little Pony; Addie also plays soccer. She counts teenage Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize winner and activist, Malala Yousafzai, as one of her role models, and told reporters that she got the idea to sponsor a Syrian refugee family after she watched videos of refugees fleeing their homes on the news.
Tinholt said it made her sad to see millions of people forced to run away with no place to stay.
“All they have is the clothing on their back... More than 50 percent of the Syrian refugees are children who have lost everything," she shared from her homeschool lesson about Syria which her mother reportedly makes sure is a topic of conversation in their home.
While other girls read Cinderella or other princess stories, one of Tinholt's favorite storytime books is “I Am Malala,” written by her hero.
Using Malala's story as her inspiration, and with the full support of her parents, Tinholt is trying to raise $30,000 to make her birthday wish to sponsor a refugee family come true.
Reports say she has been meeting with local politicians and drawing support and awareness for her cause.
Her parents say she is an inspiration to them because of her compassion and fearlessness to make her voice heard despite having only turned eight years old this week.
Tinholt has created an online presence on Twitter and YouTube which she uses to raise awareness about the plight of Syrian refugees.
She is also using the hashtag #refugeesmatter and a website to promote her campaign.
Although she hasn't quite gotten her birthday wish yet, Tinholt shared on Twitter that she got another surprise for her special day:
Best birthday surprise ever!! The video: https://t.co/UkBMIFLPrH. Thank you Mr. Sajjan!!! #refugeesmatter #cdnpoli https://t.co/rfKJeo63p8
— Addie Tinholt (@AddieTinholt) September 30, 2015
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