Local girl donates to area fire
department to help kids going through trauma
Abby Corn presented the stuffed animals she collected to volunteers with the Seligman Fire Department. Pictured in the front is Abby Corn. In the second row, from left to right, are: Austin Pippin, Jacob Wolfe, Steven J. Skinis, and Steven M. Skinkis. Back row: Levi Thomas, Bobby Beaver, Gerald Harling, Paul Still, Jamie Whisenhunt, Chevy Beaver, Charlie Henderson, Evan Still and Jessie Harling.
February 12, 2020
Charlea Estes-Jones
Just over eight years ago, a Seligman family lived out a nightmare. Abby Corn, 23 months old at the time, was spending time with her grandparents and tragedy struck via a Copperhead. Abby was bitten, and her grandmother Jo Nell Corn rushed into action, calling 911.
Now, the better part of a decade earlier, Abby wants help other kids going through horrible trauma to find some comfort. When Abby was bitten, the first responders on scene gave her a stuffed animal to hold. The bunny became known affectionately as Rescue Rabbit, and Abby clung to the toy in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The story of the comfort Rescue Rabbit provided stuck with Abby through retellings of the story from her family over the years. Recently, Abby took it upon herself to donate over 35 stuffed animals to the Seligman Fire Department to give to kids going through a hard time.
While Abby had other stuffed animals she was attached to, she clung to Rescue Rabbit in the ambulance and the emergency room.
Abby is now 10 and lives in Bentonville, Ark., with her parents, Sarah and Jared Corn. Her grandparents still live in Seligman and she comes back to visit regularly. Since Seligman Area Rural Fire Association were the first on scene to help her in her time of need, Abby wanted to give back in a way that would help others in the area.
Abby's mother said the idea came up when they sat her down and told her she needed to find something to do with the large collection of stuffed animals she had accumulated over the years. Sarah said, "We were discussing about what to do with the amount of stuffed animals. She had accumulated quite a few, so we started talking about what she could do with them instead of getting rid of them. When we started talking, she suggested police or fire stations and after talking for awhile, we thought maybe we could do it for Seligman first responders since that was who helped her when she was bit by a snake when she was two."
Her mother wasn't surprised that Abby chose to donate them to help others. She added, "She is very empathetic and caring for other people, so it wasn't any surprise that she would want to help other people."
Abby explained it was an easy decision. She said, "I had gone through that time and I wanted other people to feel the way I did and to feel that comfort through hard times."
Abby donated some of her own stuffed animals, but she also invited her friends to donate, and they added to the collection. She also asked the Titanic Museum in Branson if they would donate a couple of stuffed animals from the gift shop, and they agreed to as well.
Jo Nell said Abby told her the impact of a specific story from the Titanic Museum trip. She said, "At the Titanic museum, there is a story about a boy with a polar bear the night of the Titanic that really affected Abby. They found his polar bear under a life boat, and later, his mother wrote him a book about the adventures of polar bear.
"She knew how that had helped him and how Rescue Rabbit helped her."
This is the second time Abby's done this drive. Before, she donated to the local ambulance district when her family lived in Jefferson City.
After taking up the collection of animals, Abby spent a lot energy preparing a speech for the fire department before taking her donation.
Sarah said, "I was very proud of her because she had worked for a week or so before in writing out what she wanted to say when she dropped them off. She had been working on that. Even though she was a little nervous, she was brave and was able to speak clearly, and you could tell based, on the responses from who was there, that they were grateful and very pleased she would want to come and donate something to them."
Abby said speaking did make her nervous, but she powered through because it was important. She said, "It was very nerve-wracking, but also it was awesome to give the animals over because I knew it would help a child in need."
Jo Nell helped Abby put stuffed animals in individual bags before they took them to the fire department. That wasn't the only way Abby got the animals ready, though. Abby put PS 91 on every single tag before taking the stuffed animals.
Jo Nell explained, "When she was in the hospital, it was extremely terrifying for her family in Mercy. We had come home to get clothes and feed animals, and my son called me [from the hospital] and said, 'Mom, I want you to stop and read Psalms 91.'"
Jo Nell said she'd read Psalms 91 and tried to argue with him, but he insisted she read it again. She said, "It says you will tread on the lion and the adder. I told him to read that scripture over Abby's leg because there is power in that. So, Abby wanted to PS 91 on every tag of animal."
Abby wrote on every tag and asked her family to pray over the stuffed animals before they took them to the fire department.
Abby said, "My animals were at the house [when I was bitten], and I didn't have anything when they were rushing over there. I had no clue what was going on, but [Rescue Rabbit] gave me comfort. I thought that might help kids."
When asked what Abby would tell kids going through a traumatic experience like she did, she said, "I would tell them, 'This is why I have done this. It's because I've heard from kids who have problems in the hospital or have accidents like I did, and I want to care for them and help them. I want to tell them it will be okay."
As far as Rescue Rabbit? She wasn't included in the donation. Abby said, "It is at my grandma's house right now, but I still have her."
Charlea Estes-Jones
Just over eight years ago, a Seligman family lived out a nightmare. Abby Corn, 23 months old at the time, was spending time with her grandparents and tragedy struck via a Copperhead. Abby was bitten, and her grandmother Jo Nell Corn rushed into action, calling 911.
Now, the better part of a decade earlier, Abby wants help other kids going through horrible trauma to find some comfort. When Abby was bitten, the first responders on scene gave her a stuffed animal to hold. The bunny became known affectionately as Rescue Rabbit, and Abby clung to the toy in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The story of the comfort Rescue Rabbit provided stuck with Abby through retellings of the story from her family over the years. Recently, Abby took it upon herself to donate over 35 stuffed animals to the Seligman Fire Department to give to kids going through a hard time.
While Abby had other stuffed animals she was attached to, she clung to Rescue Rabbit in the ambulance and the emergency room.
Abby is now 10 and lives in Bentonville, Ark., with her parents, Sarah and Jared Corn. Her grandparents still live in Seligman and she comes back to visit regularly. Since Seligman Area Rural Fire Association were the first on scene to help her in her time of need, Abby wanted to give back in a way that would help others in the area.
Abby's mother said the idea came up when they sat her down and told her she needed to find something to do with the large collection of stuffed animals she had accumulated over the years. Sarah said, "We were discussing about what to do with the amount of stuffed animals. She had accumulated quite a few, so we started talking about what she could do with them instead of getting rid of them. When we started talking, she suggested police or fire stations and after talking for awhile, we thought maybe we could do it for Seligman first responders since that was who helped her when she was bit by a snake when she was two."
Her mother wasn't surprised that Abby chose to donate them to help others. She added, "She is very empathetic and caring for other people, so it wasn't any surprise that she would want to help other people."
Abby explained it was an easy decision. She said, "I had gone through that time and I wanted other people to feel the way I did and to feel that comfort through hard times."
Abby donated some of her own stuffed animals, but she also invited her friends to donate, and they added to the collection. She also asked the Titanic Museum in Branson if they would donate a couple of stuffed animals from the gift shop, and they agreed to as well.
Jo Nell said Abby told her the impact of a specific story from the Titanic Museum trip. She said, "At the Titanic museum, there is a story about a boy with a polar bear the night of the Titanic that really affected Abby. They found his polar bear under a life boat, and later, his mother wrote him a book about the adventures of polar bear.
"She knew how that had helped him and how Rescue Rabbit helped her."
This is the second time Abby's done this drive. Before, she donated to the local ambulance district when her family lived in Jefferson City.
After taking up the collection of animals, Abby spent a lot energy preparing a speech for the fire department before taking her donation.
Sarah said, "I was very proud of her because she had worked for a week or so before in writing out what she wanted to say when she dropped them off. She had been working on that. Even though she was a little nervous, she was brave and was able to speak clearly, and you could tell based, on the responses from who was there, that they were grateful and very pleased she would want to come and donate something to them."
Abby said speaking did make her nervous, but she powered through because it was important. She said, "It was very nerve-wracking, but also it was awesome to give the animals over because I knew it would help a child in need."
Jo Nell helped Abby put stuffed animals in individual bags before they took them to the fire department. That wasn't the only way Abby got the animals ready, though. Abby put PS 91 on every single tag before taking the stuffed animals.
Jo Nell explained, "When she was in the hospital, it was extremely terrifying for her family in Mercy. We had come home to get clothes and feed animals, and my son called me [from the hospital] and said, 'Mom, I want you to stop and read Psalms 91.'"
Jo Nell said she'd read Psalms 91 and tried to argue with him, but he insisted she read it again. She said, "It says you will tread on the lion and the adder. I told him to read that scripture over Abby's leg because there is power in that. So, Abby wanted to PS 91 on every tag of animal."
Abby wrote on every tag and asked her family to pray over the stuffed animals before they took them to the fire department.
Abby said, "My animals were at the house [when I was bitten], and I didn't have anything when they were rushing over there. I had no clue what was going on, but [Rescue Rabbit] gave me comfort. I thought that might help kids."
When asked what Abby would tell kids going through a traumatic experience like she did, she said, "I would tell them, 'This is why I have done this. It's because I've heard from kids who have problems in the hospital or have accidents like I did, and I want to care for them and help them. I want to tell them it will be okay."
As far as Rescue Rabbit? She wasn't included in the donation. Abby said, "It is at my grandma's house right now, but I still have her."