CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) – A group of girls in the Valley is helping to spread a message of hope left by a young girl who passed away last month after battling a brain tumor.

Melina Michelle Edenfield was diagnosed with Diffuse Midline Glioma in May and died at the end of June.

During that time, family and friends created The Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation with the goal of fighting childhood brain tumors.

To help the foundation, students from Boardman and Canfield are selling t-shirts with the logo, “Choose joy.” It’s a nod to Melina’s relentless passion for life and love.

The girls knew Melina through a dance studio in Canfield.

Organizers say this type of cancer does’t get as much funding as others, so they wanted to help the cause.

“We want to do as much as we can to get the research money she deserved,” said Alexis Pomponio.

The girls had a goal to raise $10,000. They already met that, so now they are going for $20,000.

You can order a t-shirt online and on the Facebook page Choose Joy through July 31.

Those interested in donating to the Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation can also mail checks to the following:

The Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation
P.O. Box 34
Canfield, OH 44406

Electronic giving via Venmo and other banking methods will be available in the future.