SANDY, Utah — Each Christmas tree inside the Mountain America Expo Center tells a story. The trees are adorned with different decorations like big bows and sparkly ribbons and ornaments. It’s the 55th year of the Utah staple — the Festival of Trees.
People can buy the trees, quilts, fudge, and other items there. Some of the trees come with extra gifts, too.
For Livvie Smart, her tree stands out. Glittery ornaments and gifts cover the tree. And under the tree are gifts that are each Livvie’s favorite items.
She’s the Patient Champion for this year’s festival, so she has a whole setup on display. What she saw were the decorations in her honor. She said it was something so amazing that she never thought would happen.
“It’s called the gift of life and it just represents be still being here,” she said.
Watch: Primary Children's patient champion shares how Festival of Trees aided in her recovery
When she was 14, she was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia. “I spent a week in the hospital trying to figure out my treatment,” she said. “10 months later, my doctors called and said my treatment was ineffective and the next step was transplant.”
She wasn’t a match with her family members, so she waited to find a match. Finally, she found a donor match — a stranger from across the country. “I received the transplant and now I’m two years in remission,” she said.
She was the first patient at Primary Children’s to receive a new treatment called Alpha Beta T Cell Depletion. Her parents said Primary Children’s Hospital was able to get her the care she needed because of the hospital's resources.
“We were at one of our lowest points, and they said Hey, we have this new treatment that Livvie can benefit from and they did it in such a quick fashion,” Tony Smart, Livvie’s Dad, said.
The money raised at the festival — from the tickets to the fudge and trees — goes directly to the hospital. “It helps with new technologies, charities and for people who can’t afford certain modalities and treatments,” Sarah Smart, Livvie’s mom, said.
At the festival, Livvie and her family have a table for the National Marrow Donor Program where people can swab the inside of their cheeks to be placed on the bone marrow registry.
If someone is a match for a person who is in need of a bone marrow transplant, then they will be asked to donate their bone marrow. According to NMDP, the best age for donations is between 18 and 35.
“It saved my life, and it being here can potentially save someone else,” she said.
The Festival of Trees will be held at Mountain America Expo Center through Dec. 6th at 7:00 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for kids between 2-11 years old.
