'Giving Doll' founder gives out its 5,000th doll

AKRON -- A little girl named Katelin Magyar, 5, of Rittman, was the recipient of a very special gift last week -- the 5,000th Giving Doll.

Magyar was diagnosed Sept. 23, 2008, with leukemia. Her parents say Katelin will be getting chemotherapy at Akron Children's Hospital once a month for the next two years or so.

The doll came from Jan Householder, of Wadsworth, who started the Giving Doll ministry in March, 2006.

The ministry uses soft-sculpture dolls, handmade by volunteers, to get its message out.

It's aimed at healing children who are hurting, critically or chronically ill, abandoned, abused, who have witnessed violence, or who are missing a parent serving overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Katelin's doll is a special "Princess" doll, dressed in pink, in memory of Katherine ''Princess'' McVey, a Stow girl who received the very first Giving Doll.

The organization is always looking for volunteers. For information, go to www.thegivingdoll.com