On second thought, board OKs playhouse for little girl with leukemia

In the end, the grownups in Ella Joe Schultz’s world got together and decided to let her wish come true.

She’ll get her backyard playhouse, just like she asked for.

But things were touch and go there for a while.

Ella is 6 and has leukemia. She told folks at Make-A-Wish Missouri she wanted a playhouse, but the board of the homeowners association in her family’s Raymore subdivison said the proposal violated subdivision rules about outside structures.

That decision didn’t seem to sit well with anyone.

Last fall, after 112 days in the hospital, Ella came home to a neighborhood parade complete with a firetruck and a dance team from Raymore-Peculiar High School. Police officers and firefighters shaved their heads when chemotherapy took Ella’s hair.

Ella’s Facebook page has over 3,000 friends.

On Thursday, the story of Ella and her playhouse drew outrage across the country. Comments on social media turned quite spirited.

Later Thursday, the homeowners board met, reconsidered and released this statement:

“Today, we are happy to share that we have reached a positive resolution to ensure Ella’s playhouse will be constructed. Our board met with JE Dunn Construction and Make a Wish to gather additional information, and while we still have a few details and timelines to work out, we collectively reached the conclusion that Ella will get her wish.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to see that happen.”

The news couldn’t have come at a better time. Ella wasn’t having a good day Thursday.

She was running a fever and stuck in a hospital, away from home and her little brother.

But then in the evening, daddy called. She was going to get her house, he told her.

“She was just thrilled,” Pete Schultz said. “So happy, so excited. Turned her day around.

“We’re so grateful to everyone for how this worked out.”

No names were on the board statement and no board members could be reached for further comment.

Ella has acute lymphoblastic leukemia and other ailments. She’s had multiple surgeries and gets five to seven IV treatments a day. She’s had to delay kindergarten.

Twice, the family has contacted hospice. On Tuesday, she was admitted to the University of Kansas Hospital with infection and high fever.

Pete Schultz received a call from Make-A-Wish as he left work Thursday.

“Apparently, they all talked it out and we’re good to go,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to tell Ella.”

A day earlier, he’d said she deserved her playhouse — that because of all the sickness and hospital stays she’d earned it.

But he and his wife didn’t want to fight over this thing. Not with Ella sick and not when people they knew cared about her.

In the end, they didn’t have to.

Ella will get her house, a little girl’s wish come true.

This story was originally published March 5, 2015 at 8:23 PM with the headline "On second thought, board OKs playhouse for little girl with leukemia."