Teen with brain cancer wanted to touch ocean. How Outer Banks community made it happen
The family of 15-year-old Ellena Vollmer in North Carolina shared news last month that they never wanted to share: Ellena had a rare, aggressive form of brain cancer. It was terminal, they said.
In the coming weeks, Ellena’s mother, Laurie Hanson, shared moments of love, tribulation and reckoning publicly on Facebook.
“We have her home and we are loving her up and trying to give her everything she wants and needs until she passes,” she wrote on the family’s GoFundMe page announcing the diagnosis.
One of her wishes was to visit the ocean, Hanson shared.
There was one thing in the way: Ellena’s wheelchair was no match for the expanse of sand she would need to cross to get to the water.
That’s where the Nags Head Fire Department stepped in.
On June 5, Ellena and her family, who live in Elizabeth City, made the drive to Nags Head in the Outer Banks to cross the beach visit off the teen’s bucket list and let her dip her toes in the water.
When they arrived, the Nags Head Fire Rescue met them and brought a special item: a beach-friendly wheelchair.
Susan Dixon, a local photographer asked to join the expedition, shared photos of the moment on her Facebook.
“Her wheelchair was not capable of maneuvering the sand, so (my friend) contacted the Nags Head Fire Dept,” she said. “They showed up and helped her into their chair that was able to get down to the water. It was so touching to see these men help her down and the chief even took off his shoes to get her into the water.”
Photos show the community barefoot with Ellena, wheeling her into the foamy waves beside Jennette’s Pier. The family had a cloudless day at the beach.
Hanson thanked the firefighters for the effort and said the family felt like VIPs on their visit, which included a trip to a private beach and a meal in a private banquet area.
A grant to Nags Head in 2014 helped the town purchase accessible wheelchairs for visitors, according to the Outer Banks Community Foundation.
“We love seeing these accessibility devices being put to use. And how wonderful to see Nags Head Fire and Rescue so involved on this visitor’s behalf,” the foundation said.
“Happy that we could help this family,” the Nags Head Fire Rescue shared on Facebook. “We believe in customer service to our community. Thank you for sharing these kind words.”
Hanson has documented her daughter’s six-month journey since her mobility began to decline, which led to doctors diagnosing her with Gliomatosis Cerebri, which is found in less than 100 people each year, according to the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center.
“She’s still a beautiful girl. No matter what is affecting her, her beauty is undeniable,” she shared online. “Hug your babies tight.”
This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Teen with brain cancer wanted to touch ocean. How Outer Banks community made it happen."
