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

Karim ~ Keaton’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Ambassador

This Childhood Cancer Awareness month, Keaton’s would like to introduce lionhearted kiddo, Karim. Karim was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at just 4-years-old in April of 2021, and has stayed a kind and courageous boy ever since. ALL is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Typically, there are 3 phases that children undergo and conquer when treating childhood ALL. Our Keaton kiddo has overcome the “remission induction” phase, where the goal is to kill the Leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow, putting the cancerous cells into remission. Now that the Leukemia cells are in remission, he is currently fighting his way through the second phase, “consolidation.” The purpose of this phase of treatment, as well as the final “maintenance” phase, is to ensure that any remaining Leukemia cells have vanished in order to prevent a relapse.

This has been a long and demanding process for Karim and his family. Keaton’s has had the honor of working to relieve some of the family’s stress by providing a personalized Hope Chest and a financial grant when Karim was first diagnosed. The organization has continued to support them with gas and food gift cards as well. Thanks to the help of our local community partner, Quick Quack Car Wash, the company and community were able to lend a helping hand by raising funds for the family. The support doesn’t stop there; Keaton’s will continue to advocate for this family in any way possible to help ease their journey.

“Thank you so much Isela for reaching out. These pictures are so special to us because they will be a reminder that times are tough, but Karim is tougher. They are a reminder that Karim has felt the pain that most couldn’t handle and yet he always finds a way to get back up and prove he is strong. Karim teaches us so much and doesn’t even know it.

If you have ever witnessed a child fight cancer it will change your life forever!

Thank you Keaton’s for all that you do and for being part of our journey.”-Karim’s mom

Photos by UV Visions by Jorge & UV

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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