PLEASANT VALLEY, Conn.—Eliana Giantonio balances trips to the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for hematology treatments with efforts to provide fish hats for other cancer patients.

She started Fish Hats for Hem/Onc after her doctor admired her knitted hat and suggested other children would love to have one.

After speaking to churches, libraries, and knitting stores, she was interviewed on the radio and television. That effort, combined with knitting classes, resulted in 70 fish hats for children receiving treatment for cancer.

Pleasant Valley UMC presented Eliana with a Good Samaritan Award for her care for other cancer patients, participation in a soup kitchen ministry, packaging care packages for the military, and community beautification efforts.

The Girl Scout Cadette also received a God and Me Award and a Bronze Award while participating in a choral team, the year-book club and the drama club.