OWNER HAS NOT EVEN GRADUATED
MIDDLE SCHOOL.
CHECK OUT THESE TALENTED
KIDPRENEURS.
IT IS EASY TO SEE WHY THIS
JEWELRY IS A POPULAR SELLER AT
THIS PORTSMOUTH BOUTIQUE.
WHAT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IS THAT
IT'S CREATED BY A 14-YEAR-OLD
BOY.
WHEN NOT PLAYING HOCKEY OR DOING
HOMEWORK, AJ BELLABONA CAN BE
FOUND CRAFTING FINE JEWELRY IN
SILVER AND GOLD.
WHAT PIECES DO YOU LIKE MAKING
THE MOST?
>> THINGS WITH THE SAW ARE
MAINLY MY FAVORITE, BECAUSE IT
IS, LIKE THE MOST CHALLENGING.
ERIN: HE MAY BE THE GRANDSON OF
SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN, BUT IT'S
AJ'S TALENT THAT CAUGHT THE EYE
OF THE OWNER OF MAKING FACES.
>> THE FIRST TIME WE SAW THE
JEWELRY, THE CRAFTSMANSHIP, AND
BE WORK THAT WENT INTO IT, IT
WAS JUST A NO-BRAINER THAT WE
WANTED TO CARRY THE JEWELRY
LINE.
ABOUT THE STORY BEHIND IT, JUST
KNOWING THAT IT IS A YOUNG BOY
WHO HAS THIS CREATIVE GIFT THAT
HE'S PURSUING.
IT IS AMAZING.
THESE HAVE BEEN A VERY POPULAR
SELLER FOR HIM.
LOTS OF WOMEN -- I ACTUALLY RAN
INTO A WOMAN THE OTHER DAY AND
SAID, YOU HAVE MY SON'S EARRINGS
ON.
SHE HAD NEVER MET ME BEFORE.
SO THAT IS EXCITING.
>> I WAS PRETTY EXCITED AND
HAPPY THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY
WANTED IT.
ERIN: THIS CREATIVE OUTLET HAS
GIVEN AJ, WHO HAS STRUGGLED WITH
DYSLEXIA, NEW-FOUND CONFIDENCE
>> SO THE J IN IT, HOW IT'S
BACKWARDS, STANDS FOR HOW I'M
DYSLEXIC.
>> WHEN HE GOT INTO MIDDLE
SCHOOL, LIKE IT OR NOT, IT
BECOMES VERY OBVIOUS AND
CONFIDENCE GETS LOW, SO WE
REALLY WERE TRYING HARD TO FIND
SOMETHING THAT AJ FELT GOOD
ABOUT.
AND THIS JUST HAPPENED
NATURALLY.
ERIN: IT STARTED IN SIXTH GRADE
WITH A PEWTER CLASS IN TECH ED.
HE LOVED IT SO MUCH, HE MADE
MORE PIECES DURING LUNCH AND
ASKED TO DO IT AT HOME.
>> CAN WE BUY A BLOCK OF PEWTER
AND SOMETHING TO MELT THE
PEWTER?
AND MY HUSBAND AND I LOOKED AT
EACH OTHER AND THOUGHT, NO.
ERIN: AJ'S GRANDFATHER SUGGESTED
HE WORK WITH A LOCAL
SILVERSMITH.
>> ALL RIGHT, YOU PASS.
>> YES.
ERIN: THROUGH CLASSES WITH
JEWELRY DESIGNER AUTUMN
HAMPSHIRE, HE'S LEARNED TO USE
THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE.
>> IT IS REALLY CHALLENGING TO,
YOU KNOW, WITH THIS TOOL CUT OUT
A PIECE OF METAL AND HAVE IT SO
BE DETAILED.
SO HE JUST HAS A NATURAL TALENT
WITH THAT.
ERIN: WHAT DID YOUR PARENTS
THINK ABOUT YOU WANTING A TORCH
IN THE HOUSE?
>> THEY SAID NO.
WELL, MY DAD SAID NO, BUT
THEN EVENTUALLY ME AND MY MOM
CONVINCED HIM.
>> THAT'S REALLY EXCITING FOR
ME, TO SEE THAT HE HAS THAT MUCH
PASSION, THAT HE WANTS TO CARRY
THROUGH AND MAKE A CAREER OR A
FUTURE OUT OF IT.
ERIN: ALONG WITH SELLING ITEMS
AT MAKING FACES, AJ MAKES CUSTOM
ORDERS, AND HAS EVEN BEEN ASKED
TO CREATE WEDDING BANDS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW COOL THAT IS?
>> NOT ENTIRELY, BUT I KNOW IT'S
PRETTY COOL.
>> I THINK HE'S DONE GREAT.
HE'S A VERY FAST LEARNER.
>> WHAT I'M MOST HAPPY ABOUT IS
THAT IT'S A PATHWAY FOR HIM.
AND A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND A
REAL PATHWAY FOR HIS FUTURE.
ERIN: A FOLD HERE.
A CREASE THERE.
ANNA PFEIFER HAS PERFECTED THE
ART OF JAPANESE ORIGAMI,
CREATING CRANES SCULPTED FROM
PAPER.
YOU HAVE THIS DOWN TO A SCIENCE.
>> I REALLY DO.
ERIN: THE EIGHTH GRADER HAS HAD
A LOT OF PRACTICE.
ANNA STARTED FOLDING THESE BIRDS
FIVE YEARS AGO, AFTER READING A
BOOK IN THIRD GRADE ABOUT A GIRL
WITH CANCER, WHO SET OUT TO MAKE
A THOUSAND CRANES SO SHE'D BE
GRANTED A WISH.
ANNA'S GRANDFATHER HAD JUST BEEN
DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER.
>> THAT CONNECTED WITH ME.
FOR MY GRANDFATHER, I WANTED HIM
TO RUN AGAIN OR BE HAPPY AGAIN
OR DO WHAT HE WANTED TO DO, BUT
I HAD TO MAKE A THOUSAND CRANES
FIRST.
ERIN: HER MISSION BEGAN BY
WATCHING HOW-TO VIDEOS ON
YOUTUBE.
>> YEAH, IT TOOK ME FOUR HOURS
TO GET SOMETHING.
I MEAN, IT WAS -- THE FIRST ONE
KIND OF LOOKED LIKE A FROG, AND
THEN IT GOT WORSE FROM THERE.
ERIN: SHE EVENTUALLY GOT THE
HANG OF IT, AND ENLISTED THE
HELP OF OTHERS.
>> THAT WAS REALLY AN AMAZING
THING FOR ME TO SEE, WAS HOW THE
COMMUNITY RALLIED AROUND MY
LITTLE GIRL.
ERIN: ALONG WITH THE CRANES FOR
HER GRANDFATHER, SHE MADE AND
SOLD CRANE EARRINGS TO RAISE
MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH.
>> SO I'D GO TO SCHOOL WITH MY
LITTLE NOTEPAD, AND I'D WRITE
DOWN ALL THE NAMES OF PEOPLE AND
HOW MANY THEY WANTED.
ERIN: AFTER MONTHS OF WORK, ANNA
SURPRISED HER GRANDFATHER AT A
FAMILY REUNION.
>> HE WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKED.
AND HE CAME BACK TO HIS HOTEL
ROOM, AND WE HAD SPREAD THE
CRANES ALL OVER HIS FLOOR, SO HE
WALKED IN AND HERE WERE THESE
996 CRANES ALL OVER HIS ROOM.
AND THAT NIGHT, WE MADE THE LAST
FOUR, AND HE MADE THE THOUSANDTH
ON
ERIN: SADLY, ANNA LOST HER
GRANDFATHER IN 2013.
BUT HER CRANE PROJECT SHE
STARTED WHEN SHE WAS NINE
CONTINUES TO RAISE MONEY FOR
CANCER RESEARCH.
THIS 14-YEAR-OLD DONATES A
PORTION OF HER EARRING SALES TO
THE DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
IN BOSTON.
>> MY FRIEND'S MOM GOES THERE,
SO IT IS JUST AMAZING TO THINK
THAT I COULD BE HELPING HER IN A
WAY.
ERIN: ORIGINALLY, ANNA SET OUT
TO RAISE $1000, BUT SHE'S
SURPASSED HER GOAL.
>> SHE HAS RAISED NEARLY
$10,000.
SHE IS DRIVING -- THRIVING AND
HER WORK IS EXCELLENT QUALITY
AND CRAFTSMANSHIP, AND SHE'S AN
ARTIST.
AND I THINK SHE'S AWESOME.
ERIN: ANNA'S CRANE EARRINGS ARE
SOLD AT THE EIGHTEEN FRIEND
STREET IN AMESBURY.
ALSO IN THE SHOP, BIRDHOUSES AND
BIRDFEEDERS CREATED BY ANNA'S
11-YEAR-OLD BROTHER.
ROBERT DONATES A PORTION OF
EVERY SALE TO THE FISHER HOUSE,
WHICH PROVIDES HOUSING FOR
MILITARY FAMILIES.
>> YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS ARE, I
THINK, AN INSPIRATION TO A LOT
OF PEOPLE.
ERIN: HAVING MADE THOUSANDS OF
CRANES NOW, ANNA'S WISH IS TO
SPREAD HAPPINESS, COURAGE, AND
HOPE.
>> THEY HAVE HOPE, I THINK.
NOT NECESSARILY THAT THEY WILL
BE GRANTED A WISH, BUT THAT
CANCER WILL END ONE DAY.
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