4-year-old girl battling leukemia gets surprise backyard playground

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - The second Thursday in May each year is Red Day for Keller Williams Realty employees around the country, and right here in the DC area. It's a day of service where they partner with local charities on community projects. On this very rainy Red Day, members of the Keller Williams family and some other volunteers found a way to bring a little sunshine to one special family in northern Virginia.

Izzy Compher, 4, is one strong little girl. She's been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but today, volunteers from Keller Williams and the Roc Solid Foundation battled the rain and mud to build a sanctuary to smiles for Izzy.

"A little rain compared to what Izzy and her family are going through is absolutely nothing," said Bo Minkiti, CEO of Keller Williams Capital Properties.

The volunteers came together to build a backyard play set for Izzy. Her new backyard was supposed to be a surprise, but she knew something was up. At first, her parents told her they were building tomato boxes, but then she saw the green slide. Her parents say she absolutely wouldn't stay in the house this morning.

Izzy was whisked off for breakfast in a limo with her family, but all the peeking in the world couldn't have prepared her for what was waiting when she got home.

And no, the rain wasn't going to dampen her playtime.

Redskins star Ryan Kerrigan was part of the group that helped make this special day possible through the Positive Impact initiative to improve quality of life for chronically-ill children-- with something as simple as a trip down a little green slide.

"You would've thought it was sunny and 72 the way she saw this thing!" Kerrigan said.

Izzy's family says the playground will be life-changing for her as she goes through the next years of her treatment.

Everyone who had a hand in building the playground for Izzy got to leave their mark by writing their name and a message on the playground itself, but Roc Solid makes sure they aren't wishes for getting well soon or any reminder of her illness. Instead, they want to fill up her playground with messages of encouragement, playfulness and fun.

"This will be here forever. For me to look out and see this, I just see love-- everywhere," Izzy's mom said.

More info:
Keller Williams Red Day
The Roc Solid Foundation