Olly the Otter is more than just a mascot for Kid’s Day of Lexington. He is a friend to children going through tough times who need hope and laughter to help them momentarily forget their worries. If there is something Olly believes in, it’s joy. The playful otter brings his high energy and entertainment to help motivate, educate, and heal. “The heart of what we wanted to do was to reach families,” said Jamie Ballentine, the man behind the mascot.
Jamie and his wife, Brittany, brought Olly the Otter to life in 2014. Initially, he made hospital visits to kids receiving medical treatment and participated in children’s events such as Lexington’s annual Kids Day. However, in 2020 the pandemic changed everything. Making hospital visits during Covid was not possible, especially with compromised immune systems being an issue. Yet, Jamie knew he could not stay still. “I thought, these kids are shut out enough, and then add the Covid pandemic. Someone mentioned doing home visits,” said Jamie, who knew this was what he needed to do. The home visits started during Halloween when Olly would bring Halloween baskets to kids and then extended to Christmas and Easter.
The home visits were the key to implementing Olly’s mission of bringing hope and laughter to children diagnosed with an illness or medical condition. Jamie explains he secured sponsors for Olly’s home visits and his goal is to secure sponsorships to allow Olly the Otter to be his full-time gig. However, even without the corporate sponsors, he is intent on helping spread some cheer and motivation to children and their families going through rough seasons. Jamie calls the young people warriors because of the fighting they must endure to survive their hardships. “These kids and their parents are battling,” explains Jamie. “We can pray and talk with the families on their journey. Siblings have their battles too. We have been asked specifically to come for the siblings.”
Jamie says “we” because it’s not just him donning the Olly costume and doing all the work. He has assistance from his wife, Brittany, who joins him on visits and event outings when she isn’t working as a pediatric physical therapist. On average, Brittany says they do about three events a month and four visits a week although it can fluctuate. “For some families, they are walking in unknown territory,” says Brittany. “There are joys and tears for sure. We get close to the families and celebrate and laugh. And sometimes we get bad news, which is hard.”
While the visits initially started by visiting kids diagnosed with cancer, it has expanded as they learned about the many other conditions children face. “If someone reaches out, we go,” said Jamie. He says they serve around 60 families across the state with two being in North Carolina. There are a lot of families in and around the Lexington area they serve which they attribute to the popularity of Kid’s Day and social media.
Becoming Olly
The otter costume is the second one Ballentine has donned and depending on the event or who he is visiting he will wear a different shirt to suit the need. He has his Kid’s Day shirts and sports outfits among others. But why an otter? Jamie explains that they were looking for an animal that wasn’t an obvious Biblical animal but one that still pertained to faith. Meaningful Play is a faith-based organization so finding one relating to faith was essential. Otters are generally considered playful and friendly creatures. They are also quite curious and feed off social connections.
“When I was trying to figure out what to create – because we are faith-based – I Googled animals of faith and a river otter popped up,” said Jamie. “I researched otter behaviors and habits and I thought, ‘I’m a human version of this.’ I sketched a character and showed my wife the next morning and she said, ‘That’s it,’” he explains. So, the otter stuck around.
Meaningful Play
When he’s not visiting families in person, he sends messages or calls them. Not only does he interact with the children, but he gets to know the families. Graysen Dychs loves playing basketball and it’s probably his favorite activity to do with Olly when he visits. His mom, Katie Cornelius, says Olly “checks in every two weeks at least.” Checking in comes in the form of a phone call, visit, or text, she explains. It certainly lifts his spirits especially since he’s undergone multiple surgeries in his young life. Graysen has a motility issue that he was born with and sees a specialist in North Carolina frequently from his St. Matthews home. Being able to play basketball with Olly is fun for Graysen and takes his mind off his health problems for a little while.
Breanna and Joseph Marra’s nine-month-old, Salem Emmersyn, was diagnosed with Leigh Syndrome, a rare mitochondrial disorder with an average lifespan of two to three years. The Sumter-based family got to know Olly this year and while Salem is only a baby, Olly makes time for Salem and her older sister. “We see doctors and specialists out of state and have appointments at least once a week,” said Joseph. He says Olly has dance parties and spends time with their oldest child at the park, who feels left out at times.
There are many moments of laughter and tears of joy but also moments of sadness when Olly’s warriors end the fight and say their goodbyes. “We’ve lost six warriors since I’ve been doing this. There was one little girl named Maddie. One of the last times she was able to go outside, she became winded very quickly. It’s been hard. She was six. Her family is dear to us,” shares Jamie.
Olly continues to bring motivation and healing through play to children facing lifelong illnesses while also looking at ways to expand his mission. Learn more about Olly the Otter by visiting his website.