SEVIERVILLE — Arrianne Witt, 17, transformed a once-empty prayer room at Sacred Ground Hospice House in Sevierville into a peaceful space for reflection as part of her Eagle Scout project. She spent months fundraising, collecting thousands of dollars in donations and organizing nearly two dozen volunteers to bring her vision to life.

Witt recently returned to the hospice house to see the completed room for the first time. "It's like a breath of fresh air," she said.

At 11 years old, Witt struggled with severe emotional pain and planned to take her own life. "I was so lost in that moment, thinking this was it for me," she said.

After years of healing and support, Witt now hopes to pursue a career in grief counseling. She graduated from high school in spring 2024 and goes before the Eagle Scout review board next month.

Sacred Ground Hospice House administrator Debbie Allen said she immediately saw Witt's passion when the teen first reached out. "She says, 'I would like to come and just look and do a project,'" Allen recalled. "She went into the chapel and she said, 'It's all coming to me.'"