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

Meet Keaton’s Kiddo – Sobha

Keaton’s Kiddo Sobhanulla, or Sobha is a kind 12-year-old boy that loves soccer and playing games on his dad’s phone.

Keaton’s Kiddo Sobhanulla, or Sobha is a kind 12-year-old boy that loves soccer and playing games on his dad’s phone. Once living a similar life to other kids in his community, his life presented a different path. On April 21, 2021, Sobha was sadly diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer. A few weeks later, Keaton’s welcomed Sobha and his family into our program.

Recognizing that Sobha’s dad would be taking time off of work to take Sobha to his appointments and stay at the hospital with him when needed, all while in the process of finding new housing, Keaton’s initially supported them with a financial grant and some community outreach resources. Upon the initial connection, our Family Navigator team and our generous volunteers were more than happy to personalize individual Hope Chests for Sobha and each of his 4 siblings, so that the kids would have a joyful surprise after a long day of Sobha’s treatment.

Knowing Sobha and his family for over a year now, we are so thankful to have also supported them with gas and food gift cards, a holiday dinner through Operation Gobble, and even gifts and comfort through our Holiday Adopt-A-Family Program! Sobha’s dad shares his heartwarming appreciation, “I think this Alliance is one of the best. It was introduced by the hospital and soon I recognized how important its role is. They considered all the necessary points that one needs at this time. This support is very valuable and we appreciate it.”

Thankfully, Sobha continues to do well throughout his treatment and is sure to attend all appointments. Keaton’s will continue to strive in supporting this sweet family with any needs, check-ins, and comfort they need to focus on Sobha’s care and well-being.

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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