BEHIND THE SCENES
I’m Julie Bennett, and before anything else, I’m Zoey’s aunt.
Zoey wasn’t just my niece—she was one of the greatest blessings in my life. She was the little girl who could light up a room with her smile, make you laugh when you needed it most, and love with her whole heart. When we lost her to DIPG on July 4, 2018, at just five years old, our family was devastated. A piece of my heart left with her that day, and I know life will never be the same.
In the middle of that unimaginable grief, I kept asking myself one question: How do I make sure the world never forgets her? Zoey deserves to be remembered for so much more than the disease that took her. She deserves to be remembered for her kindness, her beautiful spirit, and the way she made everyone around her feel loved.
That’s how Zoey’s Christmas Angels began.
I wanted to take the love I have for Zoey and pour it into other children and families who are hurting. What started as a way to honor her memory has grown into something so much bigger than I ever imagined. Every child who smiles on Christmas morning, every family that feels hope during a difficult season, and every volunteer who joins this mission helps keep Zoey’s light shining.
By day, I own and operate an early childhood daycare, where I’ve spent my life caring for children. Looking back, I realize that caring for children has always been my calling. Zoey’s Christmas Angels simply became another way to answer that calling—by reaching families who need a reminder that they are loved, seen, and never alone.
People often tell me how much this organization has helped others, but the truth is, it has helped me too. It has given my grief a purpose. It has allowed me to continue loving Zoey in the only way I know how—by sharing her kindness with the world.
Everything we do is done with love, because that’s who Zoey is to us. Her life was far too short, but her impact is immeasurable. As long as I have the ability to help others, I will continue this mission in her honor. Because love like Zoey’s doesn’t end—it lives on in every act of kindness, every giving heart, and every child whose Christmas is made a little brighter because of one extraordinary little girl.
Zoey wasn’t just my niece—she was one of the greatest blessings in my life. She was the little girl who could light up a room with her smile, make you laugh when you needed it most, and love with her whole heart. When we lost her to DIPG on July 4, 2018, at just five years old, our family was devastated. A piece of my heart left with her that day, and I know life will never be the same.
In the middle of that unimaginable grief, I kept asking myself one question: How do I make sure the world never forgets her? Zoey deserves to be remembered for so much more than the disease that took her. She deserves to be remembered for her kindness, her beautiful spirit, and the way she made everyone around her feel loved.
That’s how Zoey’s Christmas Angels began.
I wanted to take the love I have for Zoey and pour it into other children and families who are hurting. What started as a way to honor her memory has grown into something so much bigger than I ever imagined. Every child who smiles on Christmas morning, every family that feels hope during a difficult season, and every volunteer who joins this mission helps keep Zoey’s light shining.
By day, I own and operate an early childhood daycare, where I’ve spent my life caring for children. Looking back, I realize that caring for children has always been my calling. Zoey’s Christmas Angels simply became another way to answer that calling—by reaching families who need a reminder that they are loved, seen, and never alone.
People often tell me how much this organization has helped others, but the truth is, it has helped me too. It has given my grief a purpose. It has allowed me to continue loving Zoey in the only way I know how—by sharing her kindness with the world.
Everything we do is done with love, because that’s who Zoey is to us. Her life was far too short, but her impact is immeasurable. As long as I have the ability to help others, I will continue this mission in her honor. Because love like Zoey’s doesn’t end—it lives on in every act of kindness, every giving heart, and every child whose Christmas is made a little brighter because of one extraordinary little girl.
