Five-year-old Ellie was so moved by Jean Muller’s story that she asked what she could do to help. Since then, her colourful crayon drawings have raised R7000 toward his operations.
South Africa (28 September 2026) – A conversation between a mother and her young daughter about honouring what makes people different turned into the most heartwarming gesture of goodwill.
Lara Lomboard, mom to five-year-old Ellie, shared how she and her daughter recently had a long, deep conversation about how all of us are different, that we don’t all look the same, and that we should be kind to others even if they may look different from us.
“I then gave her the example of Jean Muller, the most beautiful little blonde-haired boy with the most beautiful heart, but Jean has a condition.” wrote Lara on Facebook, recounting what she told her daughter. “I explained, in the best way I could to my five-year-old daughter, that Jean’s teeth look different from hers and that they will never grow like her teeth do, and that other children can be terribly cruel.”
Jean is a two-year-old from Heidelberg who lives with Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia, an extremely rare genetic condition that can affect the teeth, hair, skin and sweat glands. In Jean’s case, it means most of his baby teeth never developed, while his body also struggles to regulate its temperature normally. His parents, JP and Arlene Muller, have since started the Jean Smile Foundation to help fund the specialised medical and dental care he will need as he grows.
Ellie asked to see a photo of Jean. She couldn’t understand how others could be so cruel.
“She then wanted to know more about ‘what happens now’. I explained to her that for him to have teeth, he will need to undergo many operations, but that it costs an awful lot of money.” shared Lara.
Ellie sat thinking for a little while, then sprang up enthusiastically with an idea. She would draw and sell pictures and pass the earnings on to Jean.
“Now, my first reaction in my head was: No man, that won’t work. Who is going to want to buy a five-year-old’s drawings?” Lara wrote.
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“But in that moment I realised… if my little girl has the heart to help, and she believes this can work and thinks it’s a brilliant plan… who am I to stop her with my ‘grown-up mentality’?”
That’s when she said: “That’s okay, my Ellie. I believe everyone will want your pictures, and Mommy will do whatever I can to help you help Jean.”
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Then, the most incredible thing happened. It actually worked. Ellie’s drawings took off on social media and, in just three days, she’d raised a small fortune for Jean!
“And after just three days… our five-year-old daughter has raised R7,000 with her pictures… and I am humbled!” Lara shared.
People saw Ellie’s good intentions – and her beautiful drawings – and decided to back her. In doing so, they’ve helped her change a life. They’ve also helped a mom show her daughter that anything is possible when your heart is in the right place.
A supporter who purchased one of Ellie’s artworks left this message for her mom:
“She may not fully understand the capacity of what she’s creating right now, or how many people she may eventually touch along the way. But she has something even more important: a heart that wants to do something meaningful, and a mom standing beside her, encouraging her to keep going.
My hope is that she continues to follow that heart, dreams as big as she possibly can, and never loses the desire to help others along the way. And I hope someday she looks back and realizes just how important it was to have a mom who believed in her dream before she could fully see it herself.
I can’t wait to see where her heart takes her.”
This is what happens when a child’s creativity has the freedom and support to spread its wings. Ellie’s colourful drawings have reminded a whole lot of grown-ups that making a difference starts with one simple thing – pure, good intentions. And maybe some crayons.
If you’d like to support Ellie in her mission to help Jean, find out how you can purchase a drawing by visiting this post.
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