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

Meet Keaton Kiddo ~ Viktor

Meet Viktor, a bright young kiddo who enjoys gaming, sports and animals. On his 16th Birthday, Viktor and his family received the unfortunate news that Viktor was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, the most common type of childhood cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects white blood cells.

As you can imagine, Viktor and his family have had to make many adjustments since his diagnosis. While caring for his siblings, Viktor’s mom and dad take turns getting Viktor to appointments and remaining with him at bedside. Through various procedures and treatment, Viktor’s strength and resiliency is a great inspiration to those around him. He has an amazing support system behind him and continues to fight his battle against childhood cancer, while also navigating his life as a teenager.

“This journey is something that nobody prepares for but when we find ourselves on it, the support, love, and acts of kindness makes us feel not so alone. My son has been so brave and has undergone some really intense treatment in such a humble and sweet way. He was diagnosed on his 16th birthday. Although he didn’t have the birthday we expected, the gift is seeing his treatment working and that he’s beginning to improve. Many thanks for all involved in his treatment and his support!” ~ Ivan, Viktor’s Dad

The Family Navigator Team got the opportunity to meet Viktor’s dad and hand-deliver their family’s Hope Chest as Viktor had just come out of an intense procedure. Our hope with joy-filled experiences, like a Hope Chest, is to brighten the day of kids like Viktor and his siblings while also reminding families that they are not alone in this journey.

#TogetherWeFight

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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