Kids’ Stories
Ordinary kids, extraordinary courage
Beyond the science and statistics about childhood cancer are the remarkable stories of young patients whose courageous spirit inspires us every day. Meet some of these extraordinary kids and learn about their families’ unique struggles and triumphs.
Alijah's Story: Surviving Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
Read the story of a family who joyfully watched their toddler hit the typical milestones and then the shocking diagnosis that will forever impact their lives. Read More
Andrew’s Story: Surviving Ewing's Sarcoma
"Andrew's treatment was available to him because of recent developments like the new technology that saved his leg," Jane said. “I just know our story would be so different without an organization like Children’s Cancer Research Fund to support new ideas and new research.” Read More
Cameron's Story: Surviving Fanconi Anemia
What is it like to watch your child grow-up knowing all the while she will one day need a lifesaving treatment? When faced with this inevitability, her family chose the best in the world at performing this treatment. Read More
Connor’s Story: Surviving Brain Tumors
Prayers along with aggressive treatment have given this toddler a chance. Read More
Emma's Story: Surviving Neuroblastoma
In the summer of 1999, Emma was a toddler with a cough that prompted parents Angie and Shaughn to bring her to the doctor. A chest x-ray revealed a tennis ball-sized tumor. The family went straight from the radiologist to the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview. Read More
Gabrielle’s Story: Surviving Sarcomas
“Life came to a sudden halt when Gabrielle was diagnosed with osteosarcoma,” says Gabrielle's mother, Tami. That was in 2006, and life is just now beginning to resume some sense of normalcy. Read More
Joseph's Story: Surviving Osteopetrosis
Osteopetrosis is a big word for such a little guy, and yet Joseph, now just a little over a year old, has had that word attached to him since he was eight months old. For Joseph, gastrointestinal issues were the first sign that something was wrong, according to his mother, Kim. Despite the temptation to attribute the symptoms to normal childhood allergies, she knew in her heart that it was more. Read More
Josh's Story: Surviving Brain Tumors
On Christmas Eve morning 2002, Josh was so sick that his parents took him to the emergency room at a local children’s hospital. A CAT scan revealed a tumor--the size of an adult fist--growing in the two-year-old’s head. Read More
Luke and Molly's story: Surviving Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
Imagine facing the devastating diagnosis that your child has a rare condition that is fatal if left untreated....twice. Parents Julie and Brandon faced twice the heartache when both of their children, Luke and Molly, were diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Read More
Luke's Story: Surviving Osteosarcoma
"Osteosarcoma has changed the dynamics of our home and our family," says Jamie, whose son Luke was diagnosed with the disease. "Little things just don’t matter all that much now.” Read More
Mariah’s Story: Surviving Osteosarcoma
The same afternoon that Mariah's adoption was finalized, a bump on her ankle was diagnosed as a malignant bone tumor. Read More
Mathew's Story: Surviving Lymphoma
“I really didn’t understand my diagnosis; I was very hungry and just wanted a doughnut to eat,” recalls 11-year-old Mathew Odette about the day he learned he had Burkitt’s lymphoma, a cancer that grows in the lymphatic system. Read More
Owen and Dylan's Story: Surviving Adrenoleukodystrophy
Parents don't always want their children to carry on family traditions. Jason and Darlene knew that ALD ran in their family because Darlene's older sister had lost two sons to the disease, and when they found out all three of their sons had it, they were devastated. Read More
Ramberg's story: Surviving Retinoblastoma
Surviving childhood cancer is enough of a challenge. Meet an inspiring family who has done it for three generations. Read More
Rosie’s Story: Surviving Wilms Tumor
Any child diagnosed with cancer has the battle for their life ahead of them. However, what if you lived in a third world country and didn’t know you had the disease? Rosie Jones has such a story, but thanks to the research and doctors supported by Children’s Cancer Research Fund, it has a happy ending. Read More
Ryan's Story: Surviving Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
After the sniffles turned into a raging fever, his pediatrician decided to test a blood sample. The results were absolutely devastating – Ryan had leukemia. Read More
Sydney's Story: Surviving Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
It was rare enough that a 13-week-old infant would have leukemia in the first place, but Sydney's type was exceptionally rare. And to treat it, she would become the first person in the world to receive mesenchymal stem cells from an unrelated donor. Read More
Sydney's Story: Surviving Retinoblastoma
Lisa and husband Gregg were given two treatment options: remove Sydney’s eye or begin six months of chemotherapy plus cryotherapy — a new treatment that would freeze the tumor cells. Read More