Hope, Strength, and Healing for families coping with a child cancer diagnosis

Meet Keaton Kiddo ~ Madisyn

On February 12, 2020, three-year-old Madisyn received the devastating diagnosis of Grade 4 Medulloblastoma.  Medulloblastoma is a type of malignant brain tumor that primarily begins in the Central Nervous System (CNS). At the time of her diagnosis, Madisyn enjoyed spending time with her twin sister, Skylar, who she thinks is the “funniest person ever” along with doing gymnastics, swimming, bike rides, exploring, enjoying books and coloring!  Now, she spends much of her time at hospitals fighting for her life.

Through the course of her treatment, Madisyn’s mom has been her rock and such a strong support getting her to and from treatment. Commuting from Sacramento to her treatment facility at Kaiser in Roseville and UCSF for treatment, Madisyn’s mother has remained by her side. She has even taken time away from work to focus on Madisyn’s health and her journey battling childhood cancer.

When hearing of all the challenges that Madisyn’s family is facing, which have become even more severe due to COVID-19, the Family Navigator Team at Keaton’s has been honored to provide the family with a Hope Chest, gas and food cards as well as Raley’s grocery bag donations.

Madisyn’s family is not in this fight alone! The team at Keaton’s is so honored and privileged to continue our relationship with the family throughout their childhood cancer journey!

After receiving the Hope Chest, Madisyn’s mom stated: “Thank you so much. She is very grateful and this has brightened my day.”

After a recent trip to UCSF, Madisyn’s mother has informed the Keaton’s Team that Madisyn is doing well and her stem cell counts looked good! She is so happy that Madisyn is able to be back home with her twin sister and is so grateful for everything the Family Navigator Team has done for their family!

Meet Keaton’s Kiddo – Kodiak

In the Fall of 2023, Keaton’s Kiddo Kodiak was diagnosed with two rare and aggressive forms of cancer: Mixed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) also known as ‘preleukemia.’

Their journey began one year earlier, in the Fall of 2022, when Kodiak was struck with a series of different seasonal illnesses. Kodiak’s mom Tonya shares: “In September, he got COVID, and then in November it was the flu, and then December RSV.”

Read More ›

Meet Keaton’s Kiddo – Ellora

Months before a clear diagnosis, Ellora was experiencing a loss of appetite, night sweats, and oversleeping. For Ellora, these symptoms were seen as normal for her or seen as natural changes in the growth of a 2-year-old. Eventually, she developed little spots on her hands and unexplained bruises on her body, which the doctors deemed Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), but after seeing an informative TikTok video on the symptoms Ellora was experiencing, her mom’s gut told her it was something more than a bleeding disorder.

Read More ›

Meet Keaton’s Kiddo – Samerah

14-year-old Samerah, best known as Sam has been battling quite the challenging journey, but with the love and support of her family, friends, and community she has been able to overcome so much. At the very young age of 2 months old, Sam was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis. Neurofibromatosis is not an isolated disorder. It causes several different conditions and can lead to the development of tumors on the brain, spine, and the nerves that send signals between the brain and spinal cord.

Read More ›
en_USEN