(April 9, 2025) 21-year-old Emily Bhatnagar shares a special bond with her father and considers him her “absolute best friend.” So, when he was diagnosed with stage IV thyroid cancer, she knew she had to do something.
That “something” became For Love & 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 far, she has donated over 25,000 books through her initiative.
From the quiet suburbs of Gaithersburg, Maryland in the U.S., Emily’s story of resilience, love, and imagination has traveled far and wide, culminating in prestigious accolades like CNN’s Young Wonder of 2023, The President’s Volunteer Service Award, and most recently, the 2025 Margaret L. Hodges Leadership Award.
Emily during CNN’s award ceremony
Finding shelter beneath the maple tree
Long before hospitals and book shipments, Emily was a shy Indian-American girl who found refuge beneath a maple tree during recess.
“They didn’t want to play with a brown girl, after all,” she wrote, recalling how her accent and ethnic last name became targets for playground ridicule. “I would feel that pesky lump in my throat and scurry back to the maple tree in my mulch-filled sandals all over again.”
Her escape was books. The colorful library of her kindergarten class was more than a place—it was a portal. “I fell in love with words, for it was through reading I lived a thousand extraordinary lives,” she reflects. “In one of them, I was a mighty sailor… in another, a ballerina twirling in a snow globe under Parisian moonlight.”
Books, she discovered, were not just stories, rather they were sanctuaries.
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When childhood ends early
In autumn 2019, life changed irrevocably. Her father was diagnosed with aggressive thyroid cancer. Emily was just 16.
It wasn’t 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’s Indian bread shop, managed finances, and prepared to be listed as his legal beneficiary. She collapsed under the weight. Literally.
“I became very ill for months due to exhaustion and was hospitalized,” she says.
And yet, from that darkness emerged For Love & Buttercup—a 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.
Children who received books through ‘For Love & Buttercup’ initiative of Emily Bhatnagar
Books as medicine
Today, For Love & Buttercup 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.
Books arrive mostly through an Amazon Wishlist curated by Emily herself. “I try to constantly update and curate a list that reflects a wide selection—from timeless childhood classics to books with strong lessons that stick,” she explains. “That being said, I love it when people recommend new titles to add!”
Each shipment is sorted by genre and age group, then matched to a hospital’s specific needs. And for those living nearby?
“If you are close by, I can even drive and pick those books up,” she says cheerfully. “I am happy to do that.” It’s that level of personal commitment that’s turned Emily into more than just a philanthropist. She’s a symbol of heart-led leadership.
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A father’s voice, now a heartbeat
Though her father ultimately survived, the fight left deep scars. One of them is literal.
“Papa was rushed to the hospital at dark, and the head surgeon came in in his pajamas to perform an emergency tracheotomy,” Emily remembers. “Though he permanently lost his sweet voice in the process, I can still hear him singing Oh My Darling, Clementine to his five-year-old girl.”
His encouragement continues to echo in her life. “My father’s first reaction was, yes, you can start a nonprofit, as long as you don’t fail school,” she laughs. “He was like, go for it, I don’t care what you do, just don’t fail school. I was like, okay, no worries, I’ve got this.” And she did.
Recognition and a growing legacy
From a story in The Washington Post to a segment on national television, Emily’s 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.
Her most recent recognition—the Margaret L. Hodges Leadership Award that celebrates those who embody selfless service. The honour cements her place as one of America’s inspiring young changemakers.
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Giving more than just books
Emily’s work goes far beyond the pages she delivers. It’s about giving children, many who feel powerless, something to hold onto.
“I think, you know, it always gets better,” she says. “You don’t have to believe that, just know that. Like, even if you don’t 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.”
It’s a quiet mantra she carries, which is born of trauma, sustained by purpose, and shared to offer hope.
A future built on storytelling
Despite all the accolades, Emily still describes herself humbly: a bibliophile, a writer, and a lifelong dreamer.
Her dreams? To write children’s books one day. To travel. To perhaps open a small bookstore by the sea.
Emily Bhatnagar
But no matter where life takes her, the mission remains the same: “It is with love alone we can keep someone alive longer than they would have otherwise.”
For those who’ve received her books, Emily Bhatnagar isn’t just a name on a label. She’s 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.
- Follow Emily Bhatnagar on Instagram
- Visit her website to learn more about her philanthropic intiative
ALSO READ: From Book Deserts to Literacy Oases: The Philanthropic Efforts of Rohan and Anya Satija
