WASHINGTON — Eilidh Baker is a talkative 6-year-old from the DMV who's battling leukemia.
She was diagnosed with B-cell ALL in October 2017, and will finish treatment in January 2020. But leukemia doesn't define Baker. She deeply loves her friends, cousins and her many baby dolls.
Baker is a patient at Children's National, but isn't letting leukemia get her down. She's featured in a short film which profiles courageous children and their families called "Moments of Joy," created by Chispa House.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the correlating color is gold. Baker and kids with cancer starring in the documentary walked a gold carpet when the film debuted Wednesday at the District's Atlantic Festival.
During Baker's treatment, medical play has been an important therapeutic tool, the release said. Baker loves her toy hospital, doctor’s kits and doctoring her stuffed animals and babies.
"Children in the film haven’t developed the language skills to participate in their own care, yet they convey their feelings and progress through clever animatronic aids now being made available free to the 15,000 American kids diagnosed each year," a press release said.