A 17-year-old Fleming Island student turned personal hardship into hope for children around the world, packing more than 1,400 gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child while battling a debilitating illness.

Adryana Parris transformed her home into a gift-packing headquarters, filling shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and personal care items that will be distributed to children in need globally through Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child program.

“I started when I was five years old,” said Parris, who began with just one box. “We just packed one, and then we were like, ‘Mommy, mommy, we want to pack one more.’ So we just packed one more. And then it’s grown since then.”

Parris’ operation has expanded so much that her neighbors have offered their house to store the 1,400 comp

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