{"id":42259,"date":"2025-04-09T07:00:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T01:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/?post_type=story&#038;p=42259"},"modified":"2025-04-09T09:53:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T04:23:11","slug":"emily-bhatnagars-for-love-buttercup-bringing-joy-to-children-battling-cancer","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/emily-bhatnagars-for-love-buttercup-bringing-joy-to-children-battling-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;For Love &#038; Buttercup\u2019: Emily Bhatnagar\u2019s mission to bring Joy to children battling cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>(April 9, 2025) <\/strong>21-year-old Emily Bhatnagar shares a special bond with her father and considers him her \u201cabsolute best friend.\u201d So, when he was diagnosed with stage IV thyroid cancer, she knew she had to do something.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That \u201csomething\u201d became <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forloveandbuttercup.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Love &amp; Buttercup<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><\/i>a heartfelt book drive inspired by her love for reading and her desire to bring comfort to children facing the same kind of pain her father endured. What began as a personal project born from profound grief has since blossomed into a nationally recognized nonprofit, spreading warmth and literary magic to thousands of young patients. So far, she has donated over 25,000 books through her initiative.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From the quiet suburbs of Gaithersburg, Maryland in the U.S., Emily&#8217;s story of resilience, love, and imagination has traveled far and wide, culminating in prestigious accolades like CNN\u2019s Young Wonder of 2023, The President\u2019s Volunteer Service Award, and most recently, the 2025 Margaret L. Hodges Leadership Award.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_42284\" style=\"width: 802px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42284\" class=\"wp-image-42284 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards.webp\" alt=\"Indian Philanthropist | Emily Bhatnagar\" width=\"792\" height=\"414\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards.webp 781w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards-300x157.webp 300w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards-768x401.webp 768w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards-480x251.webp 480w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 792px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 792\/414;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42284\" class=\"wp-image-42284\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards.webp\" alt=\"Indian Philanthropist | Emily Bhatnagar\" width=\"792\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards.webp 781w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards-300x157.webp 300w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards-768x401.webp 768w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-at-CNN-Awards-480x251.webp 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\" \/><\/noscript><p id=\"caption-attachment-42284\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Emily during CNN&#8217;s award ceremony<\/p><\/div>\n<h4><b>Finding shelter beneath the maple tree<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long before hospitals and book shipments, Emily was a shy Indian-American girl who found refuge beneath a maple tree during recess.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey didn\u2019t want to play with a brown girl, after all,\u201d she wrote, recalling how her accent and ethnic last name became targets for playground ridicule. \u201cI would feel that pesky lump in my throat and scurry back to the maple tree in my mulch-filled sandals all over again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her escape was books. The colorful library of her kindergarten class was more than a place\u2014it was a portal. \u201cI fell in love with words, for it was through reading I lived a thousand extraordinary lives,\u201d she reflects. \u201cIn one of them, I was a mighty sailor\u2026 in another, a ballerina twirling in a snow globe under Parisian moonlight.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Books, she discovered, were not just stories, rather they were sanctuaries.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CUMQH_lgGKa\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CUMQH_lgGKa\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Emily Bhatnagar (@forloveandbuttercup)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h4><b>When childhood ends early<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In autumn 2019, life changed irrevocably. Her father was diagnosed with aggressive thyroid cancer. Emily was just 16.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It wasn\u2019t just emotional anguish. The physical and mental toll nearly broke her. While other teens attended high school dances or worried about SATs, Emily tube-fed her father between Zoom classes, helped run the family\u2019s Indian bread shop, managed finances, and prepared to be listed as his legal beneficiary. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She collapsed under the weight. Literally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI became very ill for months due to exhaustion and was hospitalized,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And yet, from that darkness emerged <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Love &amp; Buttercup<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014a mission to give joy where it was most needed. Books, the very things that once saved her, would now be her gift to children in pain.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_42262\" style=\"width: 730px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42262\" class=\"wp-image-42262 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books.webp\" alt=\"Indian Philanthropist | Emily Bhatnagar \" width=\"720\" height=\"506\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books.webp 850w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books-300x211.webp 300w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books-768x539.webp 768w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books-480x337.webp 480w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 720px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 720\/506;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42262\" class=\"wp-image-42262 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books.webp\" alt=\"Indian Philanthropist | Emily Bhatnagar \" width=\"720\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books.webp 850w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books-300x211.webp 300w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books-768x539.webp 768w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Children-who-received-Emilys-books-480x337.webp 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/noscript><p id=\"caption-attachment-42262\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children who received books through &#8216;For Love &amp; Buttercup&#8217; initiative of Emily Bhatnagar<\/p><\/div>\n<h4><b>Books as medicine<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Love &amp; Buttercup<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has donated over 25,000 books to pediatric cancer wards, under-resourced schools, and even ICU waiting rooms where children sit anxiously as their parents fight for life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Books arrive mostly through an Amazon Wishlist curated by Emily herself. \u201cI try to constantly update and curate a list that reflects a wide selection\u2014from timeless childhood classics to books with strong lessons that stick,\u201d she explains. \u201cThat being said, I love it when people recommend new titles to add!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each shipment is sorted by genre and age group, then matched to a hospital\u2019s specific needs. And for those living nearby?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf you are close by, I can even drive and pick those books up,\u201d she says cheerfully. \u201cI am happy to do that.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s that level of personal commitment that\u2019s turned Emily into more than just a philanthropist. She\u2019s a symbol of heart-led leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DCsxiQpAOmF\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DCsxiQpAOmF\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Emily Bhatnagar (@forloveandbuttercup)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h4><b>A father&#8217;s voice, now a heartbeat<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though her father ultimately survived, the fight left deep scars. One of them is literal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPapa was rushed to the hospital at dark, and the head surgeon came in in his pajamas to perform an emergency tracheotomy,\u201d Emily remembers. \u201cThough he permanently lost his sweet voice in the process, I can still hear him singing <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh My Darling, Clementine<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to his five-year-old girl.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His encouragement continues to echo in her life. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMy father\u2019s first reaction was, yes, you can start a nonprofit, as long as you don\u2019t fail school,\u201d she laughs. \u201cHe was like, go for it, I don\u2019t care what you do, just don\u2019t fail school. I was like, okay, no worries, I\u2019ve got this.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And she did.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Recognition and a growing legacy<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a story in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Washington Post<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to a segment on national television, Emily\u2019s story has gone viral, striking a universal chord. In a world often defined by cynicism and burnout, her journey is a reminder that kindness and imagination still hold power.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her most recent recognition\u2014the Margaret L. Hodges Leadership Award that celebrates those who embody selfless service. The honour cements her place as one of America\u2019s inspiring young changemakers.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DCxA09iJcgM\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DCxA09iJcgM\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Emily Bhatnagar (@forloveandbuttercup)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h4><b>Giving more than just books<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emily\u2019s work goes far beyond the pages she delivers. It\u2019s about giving children, many who feel powerless, something to hold onto.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think, you know, it always gets better,\u201d she says. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to believe that, just know that. Like, even if you don\u2019t believe it, you have to know it will get better. That is a message I have carried strongly with me. I know things are going to be okay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a quiet mantra she carries, which is born of trauma, sustained by purpose, and shared to offer hope.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>A future built on storytelling<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite all the accolades, Emily still describes herself humbly: a bibliophile, a writer, and a lifelong dreamer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her dreams? To write children\u2019s books one day. To travel. To perhaps open a small bookstore by the sea.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_42263\" style=\"width: 774px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42263\" class=\"wp-image-42263 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar.webp\" alt=\"Emily Bhatnagar \" width=\"764\" height=\"734\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar.webp 840w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar-300x288.webp 300w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar-768x738.webp 768w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar-480x461.webp 480w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 764px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 764\/734;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42263\" class=\"wp-image-42263 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar.webp\" alt=\"Emily Bhatnagar \" width=\"764\" height=\"734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar.webp 840w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar-300x288.webp 300w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar-768x738.webp 768w, https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Emily-Bhatnagar-480x461.webp 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\" \/><\/noscript><p id=\"caption-attachment-42263\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Emily Bhatnagar<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But no matter where life takes her, the mission remains the same: \u201cIt is with love alone we can keep someone alive longer than they would have otherwise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For those who\u2019ve received her books, Emily Bhatnagar isn\u2019t just a name on a label. She\u2019s a kindred spirit, a fellow traveler on a hard journey. And through every story she shares, she reminds them, and us all that love, quite simply, is the most powerful story we can write.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Follow Emily Bhatnagar on<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/forloveandbuttercup\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Instagram\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Visit her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forloveandbuttercup.com\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a> to learn more about her philanthropic intiative\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>ALSO READ: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/es\/youth\/story\/global-indian-exclusive\/from-book-deserts-to-literacy-oases-rohan-and-anya-satijas-philanthropic-endeavours\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">From Book Deserts to Literacy Oases: The Philanthropic Efforts of Rohan and Anya Satija<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(April 9, 2025) 21-year-old Emily Bhatnagar shares a special bond with her father and considers him her \u201cabsolute best friend.\u201d So, when he was diagnosed with stage IV thyroid cancer, she knew she had to do something. That \u201csomething\u201d became For Love &amp; Buttercup, a heartfelt book drive inspired by her love for reading and her desire to bring comfort to children facing the same kind of pain her father endured. What began as a personal project born from profound grief has since blossomed into a nationally recognized nonprofit, spreading warmth and literary magic to thousands of young patients. So [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":42275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","story-category":[215,2569],"story-tag":[123,4274,5670],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Emily Bhatnagar\u2019s \u2018For Love &amp; Buttercup\u2019 bringing joy to children<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When grief sparked giving: Emily Bhatnagar\u2019s \u2018For Love &amp; Buttercup\u2019 bringing joy to children battling cancer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/emily-bhatnagars-for-love-buttercup-bringing-joy-to-children-battling-cancer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Emily Bhatnagar\u2019s \u2018For Love &amp; 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