Local chef Charity Pykles-George has been busy in recent weeks crafting and giving away elaborate birthday cakes to local children battling grave illnesses.

Pykles-George, who by day runs d’Zrt Cake Studio in La Mesa and has been featured on a handful of TV cooking shows, is also a volunteer and board member of the charity Icing Smiles Inc., which relies on over 4000 “sugar angels” across the country to bake and deliver the cakes, of which dozens are requested each week.

Last weekend, Pykles-George visited Rina Sy on her sixth birthday. Sy was diagnosed earlier this year with a form of leukemia forcing her to undergo chemotherapy. Testing has indicated her younger brother, Patrick, will be able to donate bone marrow to Rina as part of her treatment process.

This Saturday (September 7), Eastlake Little Leaguer DJ Villareal and friends from the all-star team (recently back from the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania) is the guest of honor at another birthday celebration. Villareal played with several team members during the regular season but, due to extended hospital stays resulting from cystic fibrosis, was not selected for the all-star squad.

Pylkes-George says she’s been involved with the organization for about two years, having met executive director Tracy Quisenberry and being touched by having a daughter of her own fighting leukemia.

“Tracy got less than two sentences out, telling me about what they do, and I interrupted her, telling her to sign me up.”

The group is continually accepting requests for cake donations here.