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

Meet Avarie diagnosed with Acute Pre B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia

13 year old Avarie, who also likes to go by “Stinks,” is a spirited young man with a fun personality and a big heart. Like many boys his age, Avarie enjoys basketball and football, especially the 49ers. He also enjoys spending time with his siblings and older cousin.

In March of 2018, Avarie and his family sadly learned that he had been diagnosed with Acute Pre B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Despite this devastating news, Avarie has continued to stay optimistic and is even thinking of ways he can help other children and their families going through a similar experience. Avarie created his own t-shirt brand that he calls Worst Effective. The inspiration behind the brand name comes from his personal experience. Avarie feels he has taken a very negative situation and has turned it into something that can have a positive impact on other children and their families.

Two of our Family Navigators had the pleasure of meeting Avarie and his family while delivering our signature ‘Hope Chest’ to them at the hospital. It was immediately clear to our Family Navigators how strong and resilient Avarie and his family are. Although his circumstances are incredibly difficult, ‘Stinks’ remains positive and optimistic while keeping his humor and amazing personality.

 

Meet Keaton’s Kiddo – MJ

May of 2021 started like any other month. Our family was enjoying the warm weather and spending time with friends and family. Unfortunately, May was the month that our world would change in a way we never expected.

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Meet Keaton’s Kiddo – Yazmine

During the week of July 17th, 2023, Yazmine hadn’t been herself.  She’d been running fevers on and off and wasn’t eating.  She had no energy and only wanted to sleep.  Then, on July 19th, her dad’s birthday, we decided that I would take her to the ER for a quick check up and be back in time to make a birthday dinner.  Little did we know everything would change on that day.  

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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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