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

Kyle ~ Keaton’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Ambassador

Meet Keaton super kiddo Kyle! Kyle is 16 years old, and enjoys playing on his Nintendo switch. He also likes Star Wars, Disneyland, Mario series and Harry Potter. At just 3 1/2 years old, Kyle was first diagnosed with Pilocytic Astrocytoma, a slow-growing tumor of primary central nervous system which can be located in the brain or spinal cord. After being in remission for 5 years, in April of 2021, Kyle and his family found out the devastating news that Kyle once again has a brain tumor, but this time, on the opposite side of his brain from where his first tumor was.

The side effects of Kyle’s diagnosis has unfortunately impacted his gross motor functioning. He is now using a power wheelchair to get around and when he has the strength, he becomes a superhero and uses his forearm crutches. Despite these challenges, Kyle is a fighter, a strong young man and a warrior who is battling cancer for the second time. With a very supportive family by his side, Kyle is very close to his mom and sister. With an hour and a half round trip commute, Mom has been such a huge support for him, helps him get around, and takes him to his weekly appointments.

The Family Navigator team has been able to meet Kyle and his mom during their family’s Hope Chest Delivery. So far the team has also supported their family with gas cards to support with their long commute for appointments and a financial grant to alleviate any other financial stress they may have. As the 2021 school year begins, the Family Navigator team were happy to share more joy-filled experiences and provided Kyle and his sister backpacks full of supplies to start off the new school year.

Kyle’s favorite quote “Secretly hoping Cancer gives me superpowers”

You are not in this fight alone Kyle!

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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Meet Keaton’s Kiddo – Pedro

Strong and optimistic Keaton’s Kiddo Pedro has a heart for soccer and music, and he absolutely loves Chick-Fil-A! Being a teen at just 14 years old, Pedro was sadly diagnosed with a brain tumor called Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma. Hear about Pedro’s journey from his point of view.

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