Hendersonville four-year-old collects hundreds of stuffed animals for Hurricane Helene survivors

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Four-year-old Henley Castilon, who has autism, started collecting stuffed animals for children affected by Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. At the start of this week, Henley had around 1,000 donations.

Henley’s father, Alex Castilon, said his daughter finds comfort in her own stuffed animals and wanted to share that comfort with children who have lost so much in the disaster.

“That’s what always calms her down,” Alex said. “When she’s having a challenging day, her stuffed animals are what keep her going. She said all her friends out there had lost their stuffies, and she wanted to help get them some more.”

What began as a simple Facebook post in a local moms’ group grew into a major community effort. Henley has received donations from neighbors, friends, and even businesses like Mobley Veterinary Clinic in East Nashville, which set up a donation bin for people to contribute.

Henley’s initiative gained even more momentum when she received 600 donations in a single day. Her parents said she was so proud. “Hopefully we’ll be able to share with Henley as she gets older what having a good heart will do for the community,” Alex said.

The Castilons are shipping out the stuffed animals as quickly as possible.

“Basically, anyone that is loading up a trailer and heading out there, we’re giving them to them as they go, to just disperse as they see fit,” Alex said.

“We hope that that’s what we’re instilling in her, is that when she sees something that’s wrong or somebody that’s hurting, that she wants to reach out and help.”

“She has her own challenges and hardships,” Alex added. “But despite that, she thinks of others first.”

For those interested in contributing, Henley’s parents ask that monetary donations be directed to Lily’s Toy Box, a nonprofit that provides toys, books, and stuffed animals to children in need.

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