Monrovia Student Creates Hannah’s Hound Houses for Second Year in a Row

Monrovia Kid With a Huge Heart Creates Homemade ‘Hannah’s Hound Houses’ for the second year in a row- Photo by Terry Miller/Beacon Media News

9-Year-Old Bradoaks Student hopes to Raise $5000 plus for Children’s Hospital

By Terry Miller

Last Year we alerted you to a young lady who is truly making a difference in her community.

The story deserves a reprise as young Hannah, now 9, is once again helping others this holiday season.

For most children, it’s usually some kind of toy, gadget or video game in which they can immerse themselves or perhaps the latest iPhone X or anything that even remotely smells like technology. But for one remarkable Monrovia girl, Hannah IIer, these items are of little consequence, once again.

– Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News

Hannah IIer faced acute surgeries in 2016 to reconstruct her jaw. Subsequently she took a leave-of-absence from school while battling the complications therein.

The extensive surgeries and resulting hospital stays took a toll on her parents Scott and Erin. But for Hannah, she seemed to take it all in her stride and made many new friends at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Her mom, Erin, said (Hannah) really remembers little about the hospital stay but did recollect that the food “…was gross.”

The extensive jaw surgery and subsequent recovery at Children’s Hospital and at home culminated with the final surgery last September where the surgeon now feels “98 percent certain that Hannah will need no supplementary surgery…” according to Hannah’s mother.

Last year Hannah’s Dad said “The kindness, generosity and support shown by our family, friends, and professionals are breathtaking and inspiring to say the least. As Hannah was going to bed the other night she let us know that she wants to have a fundraiser. She wanted to make ginger bread houses for dogs using rawhide, dog bones and peanut butter.”

Hannah, who has one sister Rebecca, now 7, and a host of dogs and other critters, wanted to do something help kids who are sick and perhaps spending the holidays in hospital plus raise money for animals in need.

The concoction of rawhide and peanut butter is truly a k-9 treat and this weekend, Hannah, her sister, parents and friends will be selling these ‘Hound Houses’ for a mere $10. All of the proceeds are going to Children’s Hospital and an animal rescue organization.

As a family, the IIer’s firmly believed that the imprint of generosity shown to their daughter by everyone has “led her to understand what it means to give to those who need the help. Hannah is aware that kids will be in the hospital over Christmas and this makes her want to do something to brighten their stay.”

Hannah’s homemade Hound Houses will be available again this year on Saturday December 16 from 9-11 am at 710 Oakdale Ave, Monrovia.

Online ordering is also available.

Hannah raised $2,500 dollars from her Hound House fundraiser last year. “We were able to purchase 3 heaping shopping carts of toys from Toys R Us and the gifts were delivered to CHLA on Dec. 23. The girls were greeted by the cranial facial team at CHLA when we arrived. The gifts were loaded into carts and taken to the patients at CHLA. Hannah and Rebecca even had the opportunity to hand out a few gifts to patients who were leaving CHLA that day. It was by far the most memorable Christmas we have ever experienced as a family. Our hearts were full when we left CHLA and our girls had a chance to really see what the meaning of the holiday season is, Hannah’s mother Erin said.

And the story doesn’t end there.  According to the family, donations continued to trickle in even after last Christmas. Hannah raised an extra $500 that she chose to donate to COWF (Children of War Foundation) that Dr. Jeffrey Hammoudeh (director of the cranial facial team at CHLA) is a part of. A few months ago the family was told the money was used to help children in Haiti.

This spurred a conversation with the Iler household, should we do the fundraiser again? It was a unanimous yes! Hannah’s goal is to double her fundraising this year. She wants to raise $5000 dollars for CHLA. The Iler elves have started the workshop and cannot wait to sell the Hound Houses.

People also donated blankets, dog shampoo, and monetary donations to the American Humane Society in addition to purchasing a Hound House. Stop by and visit Hannah on Dec 16.

For more information and to order online:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSceL8-JSgCVrm2X3BR-3dujGg67hVaQ_dXmqtu2fJSkuIRkdQ/viewform

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