A Story Worthy Of Holiday Cheer: An Elk For Ella
Happy Holidays! We hope you enjoy this December story of a brave, badass little kid:
By Tim E. Hovey
Two years ago, my wife Cheryl asked me if I wanted to attend an event at her gym. It was a celebration of sorts for a young lady named Ella Nichols.
After suffering through severe headaches and face pain, doctors found a cancerous tumor behind Ella’s eye and she was diagnosed with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma at just 7 years old. The party at the gym was to celebrate the completion of her cancer treatment. In my opinion, those are the best types of celebrations.
For the next several months, Cheryl would give me updates on Ella’s progress. After we’d heard about her diagnosis, I’d always ask Cheryl how Ella was doing. Honestly, it broke my heart when I heard about what she had to deal with. Having never met her, I had to believe that she was an extremely strong young lady.
At the gym, we walked in and found the celebration well underway. Kids of all ages ran around the facility chasing each other, playing with heavy weight machines and just being kids. Several groups of adults were mingling around the right side of the place. On the left, several tables were set up with balloons and colorful party favors, photos of Ella and a cake. A large white album with blank pages sat at the end of a table. A small card instructed guests to write Ella a message.
I picked up the pen, found a blank page and started writing. I don’t remember exactly what I wrote, but I remember having tears in my eyes when I finished. I thought about own daughters, both adults now, growing up healthy and happy. I looked at the photos of Ella progressing through her treatment – some with bandages, most in a hospital bed. I thought how unfair life can be sometimes. Despite all the support from her family and friends, this was a fight she’d have to win on her own.
The event was upbeat and enjoyable. I met Ella briefly, but she had games to play and other kids to play with. It was great to see her running around and enjoying life. When we left the gym, I remember mentally crossing my fingers that she would be completely done with cancer.
CHERYL WAS SCROLLING THROUGH Facebook on her computer. She belongs to several hunting groups, and this time of year the site is filled with photos of hunters and their big game successes. I saw Cheryl smile as she turned her laptop towards me and said, “Check this out!” The image was of a beautiful six-by-six elk lying in the sage. A young blonde girl dressed in camo and wearing a huge smile straddled the elk. Her arms were barely long enough to stretch between the antlers.
“Do you remember Ella?” Cheryl asked. I did.
Ella’s mom Carrie told me that Ella had had to endure 15 months of chemo and radiation therapy during her treatment. During this time, she and her family heavily leaned on the large community that rallied around Ella. Those included the gym, the fire department community through her husband Ty’s job as a firefighter, their church and Ella’s school.
Above all, Ella’s attitude got her family through this ordeal. Though devastated and terrified at the diagnosis, Ella decided she was going to tackle cancer head on. She never quit smiling and never complained. When the treatment robbed her of her hair, she refused to wear hats or wigs, telling her mom, “That just wouldn’t be me.”
Ella’s dad Ty is a captain at his fire station and lifelong hunter. A fellow captain, Danny Garringer, is on the board of an organization called Fearless Outdoorsman (fearlessoutdoorsman.com). They organize hunts for veterans, as well as kids with life-threatening diseases.
With some coordination, the individuals at Fearless Outdoorsman planned a September elk hunt for Ella in the rugged Owyhee Mountains of southwest Idaho. At just 10 years old, this would be Ella’s very first hunt.
AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TO the gun range, Ella was finally ready for her big hunt in late September. They hunted hard for three days, and while they spotted elk, Ella didn’t see anything she wanted to take. That hunt ended without an elk for Ella.
The following month, the volunteers at Fearless Outdoorsman and Ty planned a return trip to the Owyhees to try again.
After getting up at 4:30 on the first morning, Ella, her dad and the guide glassed spots near their camp. In the opposite canyon, they spotted a bull elk in the perfect position for a shot. They moved closer and got Ella set up. Ty calmed her and advised to take her time. Ella centered the crosshairs on the bull’s vitals and slowly squeezed the trigger. The bull fell 150 yards away. Ella’s elk was on the ground!
Having grown up hunting, Ty was beyond excited to share this hunt with his little girl. After the shot they were both very emotional about her accomplishment. Ty mentioned that he saw a whole new level of grit and determination from his daughter. Between the early-morning start time and the long hikes, Ella put her head down and never quit. She even helped field dress the bull and pack out a backstrap. Way to go, Ella!
I KNOW A FEW people who have dealt with tragedies and extreme difficulties throughout their lives. They’ve come through these events stronger and braver after having moved through the episode. I’ve always admired their attitude, perseverance and strength, and I honestly doubt my abilities to do the same. These people are a special breed, and they will always have my admiration and respect. I consider Ella in that elite group. I think about what I was doing at 7 years old – the same age Ella was diagnosed – and I certainly wasn’t fighting for my life.
Occasionally, I see the ups and downs of life play out and I come to really understand what’s important. I must imagine that on a brisk October morning and looking through the scope at her bull, Ella, now cancer- free, experienced the highest of highs of every sportsman and -woman, and she’ll remember that always. And I’ll bet the memory of that bull hitting the ground and the hug between father and daughter afterwards will be a memory Ty will cherish forever. After all this family had been through, they certainly deserved it.
Hearing Ella’s story, from the lows to the highs, I came away with one thought: There’s fire in the heart and soul of that little girl, and you can never make fire feel afraid. CS
