GRETNA, Neb. (KMTV) — One local family has taken their own heartbreaking experience and has turned it into something much brighter.
Amanda Reinert's is the busy mom of two children, 8-year-old Ava, and 19-month-old Bennet. While taking care of her two children, she works full-time and also has a side business called "Pink and Plaid Sleepover Parties."
The small business organizes themed sleepovers and birthdays in-house and sets up everything from candy bars to sleeping beds and games. The idea stemmed from Ava and her traumatic experience when she was just 4 years old.
“She was very, very sick. She was having fevers and she was pale and she slept probably 90 percent of the day," Amanda said.
Ava has been through more hardship than most before the age of 5. Her story of hope and recovery inspired her mom to start a small business that Ava, who is now in better health, helps with. Full story on @3NewsNowOmaha pic.twitter.com/qjKWUXVXR8
— Ruta Ulcinaite KMTV (@RutaUlcinaite) May 12, 2021
Ava was diagnosed with Leukemia at 4 years old and went through 800 days of intense chemotherapy and treatment. The experience left her frail and she couldn't go to public places or go to any of her friend's birthdays.
"So we had to get really creative with how we celebrated and did things at home," Amanda said.
After planning a few parties for Ava, she realized her idea works well in a pandemic, when many families had to isolate. She started the small business of planning at-home sleepovers in October of 2020.
Now two years after completing chemotherapy, Ava is helping her mom make other children happy as well by helping plan and decorate.
"It's our family celebration all the time of the fact that's she's alive and that she's healthy and that we get to do things like this," Amanda said.
