A Denton County girl named Hallie Barnard can now add fashion designer to her list of accomplishments.
Designers with retailer Target surprised her with a limited edition T-shirt she designed. It's now on sale online and in stores in Denton and Flower Mound.
The 11-year-old's dream is to design products that spark joy for her and other children fighting childhood disease. Target, where her dad works, helped make that happen.
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The big reveal came in the hospital were Hallie continues to fight bone cancer.
"Hallie's approach to design is inclusive and thoughtful," designer Natalie Schild said in a news release. "She's a truly special person who has a great deal of empathy for others, and that inspired me to think in new ways about how we create our products. Working with her is a great reminder to continue tapping into the ideas and needs of our guests."
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Hallie's T-shirt started back in the summer when she visited the retailer's headquarters and met with designers from Target's Cat & Jack teams. Hallie made a sketch of a sloth because they make her smile, and the result is a T-shirt featuring a sloth bedazzled in sequins.
The Target team also gave Hallie a Pillowfort throw pillow doll in her likeness and a $10,000 donation to her nonprofit Hallie's Heroes.
The foundation was started when Hallie was six to raise awareness of the rare bone marrow disease she'd contracted, bone marrow screenings and donor registration. Hallie finally got her own life-saving bone marrow transplant but is now battling cancer. And while it's a big fight, Hallie is determined to beat this, too.
"Hallie's positivity and forward-thinking attitude is so inspiring," said product design director Dominique Mueller. "It's a powerful reminder of the difference that one individual like Hallie and her story can make in so many people's lives."
