At 13, Hattie Turns Compassion Into Action for Youth in Recovery

At 13 years old, Hattie has already built a reputation in her family for turning compassion into action. Inspired by the memoirs Beautiful Boy and Tweak – which opened her eyes to the struggles of addiction and the need for more support in recovery – Hattie wanted to help.

She connected with Ember Recovery’s mission right away.

“I really like that it was for youth,” she explained. “And that it is nature-based and calm.”

Ember provides crisis stabilization and residential addiction treatment for youth and young adults. Ember Recovery’s best-in-class campus features retreat-style cabins, wellness and recreation areas, nature trails, and therapy spaces – all designed to support recovery and well-being.

Hattie and her grandmother, Kathy, drove from Cedar Falls to Cambridge on a sunny morning to tour the campus, learn about the mission, and hand-deliver a donation to Ember, inspired by a pair of New York Times’ bestsellers.

Beautiful Boy by David Sheff is a memoir from a father’s perspective, chronicling his son Nic’s painful struggle with methamphetamine addiction and the impact it has on their family as they search for hope and healing. Tweak by Nic Sheff is Nic’s own memoir, written from his point of view, detailing his raw and unflinching journey through addiction, relapse, and the difficult road toward recovery. Together, the two books give both sides of the addiction story – parent and child.

“They’re really mind opening,” Hattie says. “They made me realize that rehabilitation centers are really underfunded, and I wanted to help.”

So, Hattie started saving. She had bake sales. She babysat. She even chipped in with her own allowance. “At the end of the book it said treatment centers could use help,” Kathy says. “And Hattie thought, ‘I can do that!’ ”

Hattie saved $232.45, but her gesture will create more hope and opportunity than any amount of money ever could. Greeted by Ember Recovery staff, Hattie walked into the Variety – the Children’s Charity Welcome Center wide-eyed wearing a Beatles shirt (Kathy describes her granddaughter as an old soul). She walked the long, winding roads of Ember Recovery Campus soaking up the serenity.

Donating isn’t new to Hattie. When she was seven, she made paper fans and sold them door-to-door. She raised $100 for the Cedar Bend Humane Society. She’s supported “Save the Sea Cows” – a children’s fundraising and awareness campaign that supports efforts to protect manatees, often called sea cows, by raising money for their conservation and care.

“She’s pretty special,” Kathy says with pride.

Hattie’s gift is more than a donation — it’s a reminder that anyone, no matter their age, can create hope and opportunity.

To give to YSS or Ember Recovery, go to: yss.org/donate/