Sandy Springs student works to aid children

May 20, 2023

Sandy Springs teen Elizabeth McCall holds a kit containing a Buzzy device, used to help sick children manage pain from injections. McCall recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to provide Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta with dozens of the devices.

Staff Reporter

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A Sandy Springs teen has embarked on a mission to help ease the pain of kids suffering from cancer, blood disorders and other rare conditions.

In mid-April, Elizabeth McCall, a rising junior at the Marist School in Brookhaven, decided she wanted to work on a project that would mix her interests in STEM while helping sick kids in need. So, she launched a GoFundMe campaign for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The goal is to raise $2,500 to buy 50 devices called “Buzzys,” which will make it easier for kids to receive injections and blood draws.

McCall said a Buzzy is an electronic device with an icepack, that is held on a patient’s skin vibrating at high speeds, numbing areas targeted for sharp needle pricks that kids with cancer and other disorders have to regularly suffer through.

“It alleviates and numbs the pain that comes from receiving blood draws, finger pricks and any sort of medical treatment,” she said. “For children to have to go through a disorder that’s that painful, I just wanted to go after what I could to help.”

Often designed to look like bees, ladybugs and butterflies, with vivid colors and silly eyes, McCall said that Buzzys are cute and versatile devices that can be worn on a band at the injection site or can be used like a handheld massager.

But each Buzzy is expensive, she said, about $50 per device. That’s not part of CHOA’s budget, leaving the hospital to rely on donations to fill their needs for the Buzzies.

“I think the look of the Buzzy is adorable and very eye-catching for kids,” she said. “It just really caught my eye, and then with it holding so much value to CHOA, I just thought it was a need that I needed to go after.”

Since starting the GoFundMe campaign, McCall has raised over 40 donations totaling $1,900, which she called “incredible.” By reaching more and more people outside of her friends, family and school groups, the teenage philanthropist hopes to provide the hospital with as many of the devices as possible.

Tasha McCall, Elizabeth’s mom, said that knowing her daughter, she wasn’t surprised in the least when the she proposed possibly doing a fundraiser for CHOA.

Proud yes, but surprised no, she said.

“Since she was really little, she's always been involved in the community and helping others,” McCall said. “So, she's a constant giver, and for her to take the initiative and think about how she can give back to children with cancer. I'm just so proud of her.”

She said that even more impressive is the fact that this campaign isn’t for a school project or extracurricular assignment. The teen just wanted to help, then went out and did it.

“It’s just a testament to who she is, a testament to how many people she will impact,” McCall said.

To read more about McCall’s GoFundMe campaign or donate, visit https://gofund.me/2f86f8da.

Reach Alexander Popp at 770-847-7404. Follow him on Twitter @Popp2Alex.

Staff Reporter