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

Honoring Keaton’s Angel – Ashley

We remember our Keaton’s Angel – Ashley

Ashley is a kind-hearted beautiful soul whose personality is as bright as her smile. Ashley’s battle began when she was just 10 months old, diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma which affected her right temporal bone and pushed into her brain. After a year-long fight, she beat her cancer and was eventually declared cancer free. Unfortunately, 15 years later, the unexpected happened when Ashley’s cancer came back, and she was once again diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma for a second time.

Despite having cancer and fighting a tenacious battle, Ashley always had a smile on her face. She loved expressing herself through art and creativity and found comfort in her favorite stuffed animal named “Teddy” who was with her all 18 years, during her first and second cancer battles. Although she spent most of her journey in the hospital receiving inpatient care, Ashley made sure to make the most of it. Her personality quickly made her a favorite amongst her medical team and no matter how she was feeling on any given day, she was always willing to make connections with other kids and teens who needed a friend to talk to. She grew to be a support for other children battling cancer and a true inspiration for those who witnessed the positive impact she shared. Constantly surrounded by love and faith, Ashley’s family was her biggest support system. She cherished the days she was home from the hospital and found joy in creating fun and silly memories with her big sister Brittany. 

After being referred to our program, our team at Keaton’s was fortunate enough to meet Ashley and her family at our Family Movie Night and Holly Jolly Celebration. We had the honor of sharing care packages to lift her spirits on days that seemed harder than others and received many beautiful photos and updates about her journey in exchange. Her sweet personality and fighting spirit was and still is a true inspiration to our team. We will miss her dearly and look forward to honoring her life and legacy through continued support and connections with her loved ones. 

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.”

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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.

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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.

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