Keaton’s Kiddos

Meet Keaton’s Kiddo Peyton, a resilient and joyful little girl whose life was forever changed when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at just 3 years old. When Peyton’s mom, Dianna, noticed unusual symptoms like persistent low-grade fevers, pale skin, and unexplained bruises, she followed her instincts and pushed for further tests. This led to the heartbreaking leukemia diagnosis, but Peyton and Dianna quickly found solace in the network of support provided by Keaton’s Child Cancer Alliance.

Facing the reality of three brain surgeries and years of chemotherapy, Keaton’s Teen Alliance Warrior, Pedro, embarked on a tumultuous journey that transformed him in ways he never anticipated.

In the summer of 2021, Pedro’s life took an unexpected and challenging turn. At just 14 years old, he was diagnosed with a juvenile brain tumor, known as “pilocytic astrocytoma”, a type of brain tumor that can occur in any area where astrocytes are present. While the tumor itself was benign, its size and location necessitated a rigorous regimen of surgical and chemical treatments.

Meet Keaton’s Kiddo, Gianna, a smart and beautiful 7-year-old who enjoys arts, music, and playing outside. In March of 2022, when Gianna was just four years old, her family received the devastating news that she was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, leading to the rapid production of immature white blood cells. For a young child like Gianna, the diagnosis was a harrowing journey that would test her resilience and the strength of her family.

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.

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.  

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.”

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.

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.