RUSSELLVILLE - Danny Cartee was speechless Monday when he learned Saturday's Miracles for Maelyne event raised $24,000 for his daughter, who is recovering from head trauma at the St. Louis Children's Hospital.
The event was the result of friends and family of 7-year-old Maelyne and her parents, Cartee and Michelle Cotton, wanting to do something to help.
Crafters donated their handiwork, second-grade classmates baked brownies and other goodies, and several other individuals and businesses donated items to silent and live auctions Saturday afternoon.
"When Michelle told me the amount, I burst out into tears," said Mandy Cartee, Maelyne's aunt and the family's spokesman.
In a Facebook post, Cartee said: "We cannot thank you enough. We are just simply overwhelmed at the generosity of each and every one of you."
In addition to the financial gifts, Maelyne's hospital room now features the banner signed by people at Saturday's event and the cards that have been sent to her since her Sept. 30 accident, when she was trampled by a cow in her family's pasture.
Family members said Monday just kept getting better for the girl, who is an animal lover; she was visited by the hospital's therapy dog.