How Emily Bhatnagar transformed her father’s cancer battle into a lifeline for sick children
Good news is hard to come by these days, and while there are elements of Emily Bhatnagar’s story that will likely tug at your heart strings, hers is ultimately a beautiful journey—one that spotlights the sheer generosity humankind is capable of.
For anyone who hasn’t heard of her, Bhatnagar is currently a first-year student at the University of Pennsylvania. A Maryland-native, the 21-year-old has dedicated the latter part of her adolescence to her non-profit organisation For Love & Buttercup, a book drive Bhatnagar started for children with cancer.
Gen Zers love a book drive. They’re all about communities banding together to collect new and used books, in order to then donate them to the people who will really treasure them. When I first heard about Bhatnagar’s mission I was already hooked, but learning more about the origin story made me truly realise how important her work is.
Bhatnagar, who spoke to SCREENSHOT about For Love & Buttercup’s mission, explained that her motivation for starting the non-profit was prompted by her father’s cancer diagnosis: “The person I’m closest to in this world is my dad—we are honestly the same person in different fonts. He was first diagnosed when I was 15, and I started the book drive when I was 17. I remember feeling so helpless after his initial diagnosis; I wanted nothing more than to take his pain away.”
“It took me a very long time to make peace with the fact that I couldn’t save him. But I could be there for him. Every single step of the way. That’s when I decided I wanted to comfort children with cancer, because the truth is, cancer is so scary. I can’t imagine how terrifying it must be for a young child to go through what my dad endured. The thought of that crushed me. If I could bring them even a little bit of joy and escape through books, I knew I had to try,” she continued.
I’m personally all about reading. I mean, I’m probably only a few days off from staring my own #BookTok account. Bhatnagar’s the same, she understands the power of books and the power of escapism. “I think books are another word for ‘portable magic.’ They truly are! They have the ability to transport you into another universe with just words, which is so cool. I think they’re the best ingredient for our imaginations,” she tells me.
Bhatnagar started this journey as a teenager, and now (over five years later) For Love & Buttercup has grown enormously. According to PEOPLE, the nonprofit has now donated 25,000 books to children’s hospitals across the US.
Talking about the public support she’s received, the University student noted: “Over the past few years, the response has been beyond anything I could have ever dreamed! I’m so grateful for the support. At first (and honestly, even now), I can’t believe people want to spend their hard-earned pocket money on my cause?! Started by a random teenager from a tiny town known for trees?! The thought of that completely blows me away.”
And the sheer amount of news coverage on Bhatnagar’s story proves she’s made her mark.
“I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet. I don’t think I ever will! I’ll forever be in shock that they consider my story ‘newsworthy.’ To me, this is just my normal, everyday life! It’s surreal, and I am infinitely grateful that my story has resonated with so many cancer survivors and their families,” the founder explained.
It’s clear that Bhatnagar doesn’t do what she does for recognition, but a little bit of acknowledgement never goes amiss, right? In 2023, the Gen Zer was celebrated as one of CNN’s coveted Young Wonders.
The Young Wonders award recognises individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to humanitarian aid and made a genuine impact in their community. And if Bhatnagar doesn’t fit that description, I’m not sure who does.
Speaking about the awards night in particular, Bhatnagar said: “It was the most surreal experience of my life, and I will forever be grateful for it. Meeting so many like-minded, passionate, and incredibly courageous people who have overcome adversity and turned their pain into purpose was so special.”
“I was wearing this poofy ballgown with heels that I definitely didn’t know how to walk in while it was thunder-storming in New York, and a few heroes went full ‘mom mode’ that night—it was so comforting! They were like, ‘Girl, if you need help using the bathroom, I gotchu!’ or reassuring me before red carpet pictures. The producers of the show were so kind, and so was everyone there,” she continued.
Aside from being able to confirm that Rachel Zegler was indeed as sweet in person as she imagined, the main takeaway for Bhatnagar that evening was that she knew this was something she wanted to do forever: “This is my dream job, and I cannot imagine being this happy doing anything else.”
Bhatnagar leaves me with her plans for the future, which are so bright they might even rival Jimmy Carr’s sparkling teeth: “Honestly, I’m not quite sure yet! All I know is that I want to continue making an impact and being the reason someone smiles. I’m working on writing my first children’s book, which is an absolute pinch-me moment! It would be a dream to travel and meet kids all over the world. Eventually, I’d love to explore the intersection between fashion and philanthropy.”
At the heart of all of this is a mission to make thousands of children’s lives that bit less scary. It’s a powerful, meaningful goal—and a reminder that there’s still plenty of good worth holding on to. Here’s a link to For Love & Buttercup’s Amazon wishlist. I’d urge everyone to check it out and see how they could help contribute to this amazing cause.
