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Seven-year-old Harper Forsyth’s colourful hand-made scrunchies raise thousands for Telethon

Kate RyanThe West Australian
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Warnbro student Harper Forsyth, 7, has raised thousands of dollars for Telethon by sewing and selling her own scrunchies.
Camera IconWarnbro student Harper Forsyth, 7, has raised thousands of dollars for Telethon by sewing and selling her own scrunchies. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian

With her sewing machine, hand-picked fabrics, elastic and a little bit of help from mum, seven-year-old Harper Forsyth is helping to change the lives of sick WA children, one scrunchie at a time.

Surrounded by more than 1500 hand-made scrunchies, Harper this week described how she decided to put her passion for sewing and colour together after watching one of her friends go through a leukaemia diagnosis and treatment two years ago.

“I didn’t want the Telethon kids to get sicker,” Harper said. “And when I was in kindy, my friend Jayda got sick and I didn’t want my friends to get sick.”

Jayda is now in remission, but Harper’s determination to help other sick kids has not wavered.

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“My heart feels happy and proud when I do that,” she said.

With a modest initial fundraising goal of $200 this year, Harper and her mum Sheridan have smashed that and amassed an incredible $3500 for Telethon so far.

“We are very, very proud of her,” Mrs Forsyth said.

“You know, she’s sort of done it off her own back and stepped up and said she wanted to do it. So we’ve backed her all the way.

“She’s an amazing little girl, at the age of seven to do what she’s doing. We set quite a low target this year because we thought you know, with everything, people wouldn’t have the money, or needed to put it towards other things. But people have just been so generous this year. It’s amazing.”

Harper has sent scrunchies out across the State.

With business so brisk, she has had to briefly stop orders to have a break, but says it won’t be a long halt because she loves sewing.

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