While the celebration of the founding of the Young Women organization occurred worldwide, a group of 200 in this central Utah community was doing its best to "ring in a new life for Kirstin" - a wide-eyed little girl who faces an uphill battle for survival.

Kirstin Doxey, who will turn 2 in February, is the daughter of Matthew and Vicki Doxey of the Springville 15th Ward, Springville Utah Hobble Creek Stake. She is one of 60 people to have been diagnosed with CD-18 neutrophil defect, which prevents her body from fighting infections. Her white blood cells do not function properly and are incapable of fighting bacteria, explained Sister Doxey.For the past year, the Doxeys have been involved in a search for a suitable donor who would provide a compatible bone marrow transplant, the only real hope Kirstin has for a normal life. At present, she lives mostly in isolation, because any cold or illness is life-threatening.

But the Doxeys have not been left alone in their ordeal, as witnessed by the Nov. 18 show of support from the young women in the stake and their leaders.

The group first met at the stake center for a program that included a skit, music and talks. Stake Young Women president Alice Jacobsen gave each ward a crystal bell to use, in keeping with the Young Women bell-ringing theme, throughout the upcoming year.

Young women and their leaders then walked to the Doxeys, where the family met them on the doorstep. The Doxeys were given a plant, balloon bouquet for Kirstin in the Young Women value colors, and a significant financial contribution the youths had raised during the week to help defray Kirstin's medical costs.

During the week leading up to the celebration, young women in the stake had worn bell corsages, and a different color each day that corresponded with the Young Women values. Their "color countdown" concluded Saturday, Nov. 18 in white - symbolic of faith.

"It was a very emotional experience to meet with the Doxeys," said Sister Jacobsen. "Kirstin seldom gets outside, but her parents brought her out on the porch, along with her 3-year-old brother, Kirk. When Kirstin came out, we rang the bells we had given the wards. She said hello, thank you, goodbye, and waved in response to the young women. There wasn't a dry eye among any of the girls."

Becky Strong, 16, a Laurel in the Hobble Creek 6th Ward who helped make the bell corsages, added: "She's a darling little girl. I think everybody had a good feeling and was happy that we were helping her and doing all we could. There was a very good spirit there."

Brother and Sister Doxey addressed the young women, who had filled the front lawn, and thanked them for their kindness.

"I hope Kirstin has the opportunity to reach womanhood and take part in the Young Women's program," Sister Doxey said. "It was a wonderful part of my youth. I hope she has the opportunity to experience the joy of giving, the joy of service."

The Doxeys, excepting Kirstin, then returned with the young women to the stake center for an open house. The youths had prepared a display under a banner that read "Ringing in a new life for Kirstin." Included were photographs of Kirstin and her family and a slide show of the young women working on the project for Kirstin. The Doxeys took the time to visit with the young women and to answer questions about Kirstin's condition and the process of testing for a marrow donor.

The national bone marrow registry has about 30,000 people on its donor list, but none of them is a suitable match for Kirstin. So the search continues, though statistics indicated that only one in 20,000 tested would have all of the matching factors. But if a donor can be found, there is a 75 to 95 percent success rate.

"A lot of the girls hadn't met Kirstin," Sister Doxey said. "We can't even take her to church. The hospital is the only public place she goes.

"This was wonderful; to look down the block and see so many young women walking toward our home was quite a feeling."

Nicki Chidester, 17, is a Laurel in the Doxey's ward who regularly stays with Kirstin and Kirk so Sister Doxey can leave the home. "Saturday morning was one of the neatest spiritual experiences I have ever had," she said. "The Doxey family is a strength in my life. Throughout all their trials, they remain positive."