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Meet Some of Our Rally Kids

Riley

Riley was at his last t-ball game of the season when, halfway through, he did not feel well enough to finish. This was out of character for Riley and raised his parents’ concerns. After being diagnosed with strep throat the following week, but he still did not really improve. His parents became even more worried and took him to the pediatrician for bloodwork. Riley’s bloodwork indicated the possibility of leukemia, so the family was referred to the local children’s hospital. After a flurry of tests over the next few days, including a bone marrow biopsy, Riley was officially diagnosed with cancer. He was immediately admitted to the hospital’s pediatric cancer floor to begin chemotherapy. Today, Riley is officially cancer free and back to being a kid. Although it is likely he will have life-long side-effects from his cancer treatment, his family is so thankful that Riley is back on the field playing the sports he loves!

Brecklynn

On November 19, 2015, exactly one month before Brecklynn’s third birthday, she began throwing up and was unable to stand. Brecklynn’s parents took her to the pediatrician, who did a chest X-ray thinking the bronchitis had turned into pneumonia. Unfortunately, it was not pneumonia. The family was sent directly to the children’s hospital where they were admitted to the PICU. Subsequent scans not only revealed that Brecklynn had cancer, but that it had spread all over her little body. There was a primary tumor in her left lung, plus two in her brain, two in her spine, one in her arm and one in her leg. Three days into the journey, Brecklynn underwent major brain surgery to remove the two tumors. A few days after, on Thanksgiving, she began her first round of chemotherapy. Brecklynn has since endured multiple rounds of chemo, two major lung surgeries and 20 rounds of whole brain radiation. Sadly, Brecklynn relapsed in February 2017 and endured several more months of chemo. She is a strong fighter who has now been cancer free for two years!

Asher

On August 27, 2014, Asher was diagnosed with Grade D retinoblastoma in his right eye. Asher and his family had to travel between Atlanta and New York City for a grueling treatment regimen that consisted of six rounds of chemo, 41 eye exams under anesthesia, three rounds of ophthalmic artery chemosurgery, eight MRIs and so much more. Asher is now beating cancer!

Caroline

In 2017, Caroline was diagnosed with a brain tumor called Anaplastic Ependymoma. Her family was told that if she survived surgery, she’d likely be blind and suffer from paralysis on her left side. The neurosurgeon was able to remove the entire tumor.; Caroline successfully came through the surgery with no issues, which the doctors said was truly a miracle. Following surgery, she underwent proton radiation therapy. Caroline has since relapsed twice, but she is again beating cancer. Nothing can hold this girl back!

Kenni

McKenna Shea, aka Kenni, had been experiencing arbitrary fevers and abdominal swelling for about a month. Her parents noticed that she was growing out instead of up and asked her pediatrician about it. The preliminary diagnosis was gas, but within a few weeks it was clear there had to be more going on. After fevers of 102-103 degrees and a belly that continued to swell, Kenni went back to the pediatrician for an x-ray. The pediatrician again determined gas to be the cause of the swelling but did send Kenni to the local children’s hospital for an ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed a large mass in Kenni’s abdomen; subsequent CT and MRI scans showed that she had several yolk sac tumors in her abdomen, with the largest being on her ovary. After surgery to remove the largest mass, and many rounds of chemotherapy, Kenni was officially declared cancer free. She is back to being her spunky, carefree self!

Gus

Anyone who has met Gus will tell you that he has a smile and energy that is absolutely infectious. One day after preschool, the normally happy and energetic Gus began experience leg pain so intense that it made him cry. His symptoms seemed to improve after some rest, but the following morning he could not even walk down the stairs. Gus’s parents rushed him to urgent care. On November 16, 2018—after countless hours of testing and waiting in the hospital—they were handed the hardest news of their lives: Gus had cancer. Five days later, he was officially diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. After many rounds of intense chemotherapy and multiple invasive surgeries, Gus is now in remission! He has a long road ahead of him with physical therapy and continued scans, but he is #GusTough and does it all with a smile.

Madeline

Madeline was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) in January 2009, four days before her 14th birthday. Her parents took her for bloodwork after her dance teacher noticed large bruises on her legs. Madeline spent nine days in the hospital, receiving chemotherapy and apheresis treatments. She now takes one Gleevec pill a day to stay in remission—something she will have to do every day for the rest of her life. Madeline has learned many life lessons from fighting cancer including the importance of faith, research and a positive attitude. Madeline is the youngest of four children. She graduated from Georgia Tech and recently got married!

Mia

Just before she turned two, Mia was diagnosed and treated for a Urinary Tract Infection. Her nurse practitioner, Joy, scheduled Mia for a follow-up ultrasound. During that ultrasound the radiologist saw signs of tumors on Mia’s kidney. Within 24 hours they diagnosed her with Wilms Tumor, a type of pediatric kidney cancer. Most children don’t experience any symptoms until the tumor grows so big on the kidney it becomes visible through a bump on their belly. Because of that, most cases are diagnosed at a later stage. Thanks to Joy, Mia’s tumor was detected very early. She was immediately referred to countless doctors and specialists, and they outlined a treatment plan including kidney removal, chemotherapy and radiation scheduled within 10 days of diagnosis. Mia completed cancer treatment when she was 2 1/2. She is now a happy and thriving five-year-old! Throughout treatment, Mia’s parents refused to allow her cancer to define her, and instead celebrated the small moments along the way. They framed Mia’s hospitalizations, transfusions, chemo, radiation treatments and scans with Mia’s beloved Dr. Cash as “visits with her buddies” and “overnight family trips”. There is a fish on the hospital lobby’s big screen, which became their “trip to the aquarium”. Getting stickers from the cancer center was referred to as their “excursion”. Mia’s parents credit their approach to her treatment with a noticeable sense of calm and security in Mia, even amidst painful procedures.

Grant

Grant was acting unlike himself and cringing when picked up, so his parents thought he might have a broken collar bone or cracked rib. On June 18, 2014, they took him in for an x-ray. While there was no break or fracture on the x-ray, there was something on the bone that could not be identified. Grant had bloodwork done, which came back with half the normal level of hemoglobin; he was very anemic. Grant was immediately sent down to the children’s hospital for further tests. Based on the bloodwork and a spot on his arm, leukemia or bone cancer was suspected. On the morning of June 19, two-year-old Grant had an ultrasound that found a tumor attached to his adrenal gland. A subsequent bone marrow biopsy revealed that the primary tumor in his abdomen had spread to his lymph nodes, bones and bone marrow. He had stage 4 Neuroblastoma and was considered high risk. Grant underwent almost two years of aggressive treatment including chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, two rounds of high dose MIBG radiation therapy and six rounds of immunotherapy. After a courageous battle, Grant passed away on March 28, 2016 at the age of four. He loved Spiderman, his siblings and his nurses. Grant will forever live in our hearts and be part of the Rally family.

James

James is a survivor of Ewing’s sarcoma of the kidney. This aggressive cancer is commonly found in the bone. It is so rarely found in the kidney that James was #27 in medical history and the first survivor. A grapefruit-sized tumor was discovered in February 2005 when James was 11 years old. James underwent surgery to remove the tumor, at which point it was determined his left kidney would also need to be removed. James was successfully treated at his local hospital through a clinical trial, involving intense chemotherapy and radiation with short breaks in between treatments. His parents have no doubt that being accepted into this clinical trial saved his life, and it is why they believe so strongly in the importance of childhood cancer research. James’ parents helped start the local chapter of Rally Nashville. His sister became a pediatric oncology nurse. Throughout high school and college, James spoke at many Rally events. He now has a career in private investment partnerships.

William

William was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in April 2001 at the age of 14. He underwent brain surgery, radiation and chemotherapy before finishing treatment the following June. In March 2004, at the age of 17, William relapsed with tumors in his spinal cord. He endured more chemo, a stem cell transplant and radiation over the course of nine months. After recovering from treatment, William graduated from high school with his class in May 2005. William then became a college student at Auburn University, majoring in Chemical Engineering and minoring in Sustainability and Spanish. His persistence and determination were an inspiration to all as he tackled the late effects of cancer treatment in addition to college classes. A routine MRI in December 2010 revealed tumors throughout William’s brain and spinal cord. He enrolled in a clinical trial, but his tumors continued to grow. William began another chemo regimen, lived life to the fullest, and graduated from Auburn in May 2011. By January 2012, his disease was almost gone; he was able to start a part-time job in chemical engineering while continuing chemotherapy. One morning in April 2012, William woke up with sudden onset of disease progression. He began yet another chemo regimen, but years of harsh treatments had taken their toll on his body. After an 11-year battle with cancer, William passed away suddenly on May 2, 2012, surrounded by his family. William enjoyed spending time with friends and family, and he loved making people laugh. He faced much adversity in his 25 years, but his hope and determination inspired so many.

Lex

Alexander, aka Lex, began losing his energy and his appetite over the course of a month. He also had a fever for a few days and a week of severe muscle aches that were attributed to a virus. However, lab work done at the ER was normal. Lex did not fully recover and even developed additional symptoms like pain in his shoulder, chest wall and left elbow. After a night of severe chills, sweats and vomiting, Lex’s parents again took him to the ER, where he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Wanting to be a normal 10-year-old, it is difficult for Lex to watch life with school and sports go on without him, all while he is feeling sick and facing a long road to recovery. It seems unfair to Lex, and his parents are working hard to keep him positive. It has been a challenge for Lex’s parents to keep life as normal as possible for their teenaged daughters too. Lex’s three-year battle against cancer will also be the last years at home for his oldest sister before heading off to college. They are all trying to stay focused on remaining close as a family. Before Lex was diagnosed, he had gotten a great part in his first middle school play. He spent four months thinking about it, practicing for it and dreaming about it. Family members were even planning to come into town to watch Lex perform, but sadly he missed it all because of cancer. Lex has also had to miss out on a couple of tennis tournaments. While he has been unable to play tennis since being diagnosed, he is having fun practicing his acting at home. Lex has now reached the maintenance phase of his treatment!

Ethan

In July 2019, seven-year-old Ethan went in for what everyone thought would be a minor surgery. His parents never expected to learn that their son had cancer. During the surgery, it was discovered that Ethan had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a non-Hodgkin lymphoma. During his initial surgery, the doctors removed the primary tumor. Ethan’s post-surgery scans were clear, which is typically good news; however, they did find cancer cells in the fluid surrounding the tumor. Because of this, and the uncertainty as to whether these cells traveled anywhere else in his body, Ethan was classified as “Group B” and given a treatment plan with five rounds of intense chemotherapy. Ethan loves playing outside and being with his friends, but, due to his weakened immune system, he hasn’t gotten to spend much time with other kids since he began treatment. Luckily, Ethan also loves watching movies and playing video games, which he has gotten to do more often recently. Many days, his body is simply too tired, and he just sleeps a lot. Throughout this ordeal, Ethan has remained a very strong and brave child, and his parents have been so moved by his strength and resilience. Ethan finished treatment earlier this year and is now cancer free!

Eli

In the fall of 2014, Eli was enjoying football season and his 7th grade year. A lymph node swelled on his neck right after Christmas, so he was taken to the doctor and treated for what was assumed to be an infection. After two full rounds of antibiotics, the lymph node was still swollen. Eli was then sent to an ENT where, ultimately, a biopsy revealed a tumor growing in Eli’s nasal cavity. On March 6, 2015, Eli was diagnosed with Stage 4 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Within a couple of days, the family was connected with the Rare Solid Tumor Team. Eli immediately began treatment, with six weeks of inpatient chemotherapy and nine weeks of radiation. He was declared cancer free in September; however, follow-up scans in November showed that the cancer had returned in Eli’s lungs. Because Eli had already followed the standard treatment protocol treatment, his only options were trial drugs and/or immunotherapy. The family decided to send Eli’s blood to begin the three-month process for immunotherapy. In the interim, Eli began infusions of a new drug called Nivolumab, and he saw great success with it.

Clate

Clate was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma during his junior year of college at Clemson, after playing an entire season of baseball with a lump on his neck. On the day of his first chemotherapy, Clate was drafted by the Boston Red Sox, but had to decline to finish treatment. Clate returned to college once chemotherapy was over and graduated with a degree in sports management. He was then drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 20th round.

Tyler

Tyler was an active and athletic 12-year-old boy when he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in January 2002. The cancer was found in his left tibia but it had also spread to his lungs. Tyler underwent almost a year of chemotherapy plus six weeks of radiation to both areas. Tyler finished treatment for the first time on November 8, 2002. When his pain returned in the summer of 2004, a second biopsy showed that Tyler had indeed relapsed. After almost three more years of “quality of life” chemotherapy and chronic pain in his leg, Tyler had his left leg amputated above the knee. He quickly adjusted to life as an amputee and worked hard to get back to a normal life. Tyler began training to participate in a triathlon for challenged athletes and continued to follow sports religiously. On May 27, 2008, Tyler’s scans showed many tumors growing in his lungs. With no options left for a cure, Tyler chose to live his life to the fullest without any more treatments. He passed away in his sleep in the early morning hours of Aug 7, 2008, at the age of 19. A couple of unfinished items on his bucket list included watching the 2008 Summer Olympics and voting in the Presidential Election. Tyler often said that kids with cancer didn’t seem to have a voice in raising money/awareness for childhood cancer. That is why he worked so hard with Rally—so that, someday, other kids would have better choices for treatment and a greater hope for a cure.

Hailey

Hailey’s story began at a check-up when she was seven months old. She had been very healthy until that point—hitting all milestones, eating, sleeping well, smiling, laughing and playing. Everything looked great at her visit, except for the fact that her head was constantly cocked to her right side, with her chin rotated towards her left shoulder. The pediatrician diagnosed Hailey with torticollis, a tightening of the neck muscles, and prescribed physical therapy. However, Hailey began vomiting every morning after breakfast and started refusing solid foods. She was then sent for an upper GI and bloodwork; all results came back normal. A new pediatrician ordered an MRI, which revealed that Hailey had two masses in her brain and a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid. She was officially diagnosed with a brain tumor called AT/RT. Hailey lost her battle to childhood cancer in 2010, but her legacy lives on. Her three siblings founded the Rally Bakery Brunch in her honor, and she is loved and remembered by many.

Jordan

Jordan was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia on February 4, 2009 at the age of 12. He spent the following 12 nights in the pediatric intensive care unit and endured many hospital stays throughout his three years of treatment. Today, Jordan is 24 and pursuing his dream of becoming an MLB umpire.

Maylee

Featured in tonight’s program, Rally Kid Maylee is a two-time cancer fighter. She was first diagnosed when she was three and relapsed when she was six. After chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, Maylee is now cancer free! However, she suffers from the side effects of her harsh, outdated treatments. As a result of her bone marrow transplant, Maylee has graft verse host disease, which affects her day-to-day activities. Maylee loves soccer, playing outside and hanging out with her brothers.

Zamirah

Zamirah, aka Zee, battled neuroblastoma three times before the age of five. She had over 250 hospital stays and visits. After enduring multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, MIBG radiation and a stem cell transplant—in addition to severe treatment reactions that led to ICU life support—the cancer finally overtook Zee’s body and there were no more treatment options. Zee loved to dress up like a princess, dance, sing and model for her family. She was looking forward to modeling at Rally On the Runway but, tragically, she passed away the month prior. Zee’s parents have founded a non-profit organization, Hooks ‘N Jabs, to honor her legacy.

Mikey

Michael, aka Mikey, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in October 2015 at the age of seven. This strong young fighter has endured a relapse, two bone marrow transplants and severe side effects from graft versus host disease. Despite all of his hardships, Mikey has not lost his bright smile that brings joy to everyone he meets. He loves superheroes and watching YouTube videos.

Aliyah

At 14, Aliyah thought she had a sprained knee. She soon found out she had cancer—specifically osteosarcoma. Her leg was amputated, and she went through a series of harsh chemotherapy treatments. It was thought that Aliyah achieved remission at the end of 2015; however, on August 8, 2016, it was discovered that she had relapsed and that the cancer had spread to her lungs. Aliyah then underwent six inpatient rounds of around-the-clock chemotherapy for 14 days. When not in the hospital for treatment, Aliyah loved dabbling with make-up and fashion. She also loved animals, dancing and sports. After a courageous battle, Aliyah passed away on November 12, 2017. She will forever live in our hearts and be part of the Rally family.

Ethan D

Ethan noticed a golf ball sized lump suddenly pop up on his head in early 2017. After many scans, tests and biopsies, he was diagnosed with B-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma on March 21, 2017. Ethan spent 48 days in the hospital–even his birthday. His family has lost count of the number of times he has been poked for blood draws, spinal taps and port accesses. Ethan has lost some feeling in his hands and feet, he has lost his hair twice, the steroids have caused his face and body to swell and he is tired most of the time—but every single dose of chemo was worth it. Since blood cancer is sneaky and can “hide”, Ethan was on treatment for three and a half years. In July 2020, Ethan took his last dose of chemo! He is now back in school, enjoying being on the swim team and acting.

Ruby

Ruby was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer, in 2015. She went through 11 grueling months of chemotherapy and radiation, with over 150 nights in the hospital. She’s now almost four years into remission and there are truly no words to express how grateful she is to be alive and thriving. Ruby has a myriad of side effects from her harsh treatments, but she doesn’t let that stop her from living her best life. Since Ruby’s diagnosis, her entire family has been deeply invested in raising money and awareness for childhood cancer. In 2017, the first “Ruby’s Dance ‘Til You Drop” event raised almost $75,000 for Rally. Those donations funded the work of Dr. Sam Volchenboum, a Chicago-based childhood cancer researcher whose work is a game changer. Because of the funds awarded to him through Rally that were raised 100% from Ruby’s event, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded his project millions of dollars to further his research.

Mary

A few months into the sixth grade, Mary was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer. She endured eight months of intense chemotherapy and a surgical amputation called a rotationplasty. In the years following her diagnosis, Mary has been a Rally ambassador—speaking, singing and raising awareness for childhood cancer. Mary is now cancer-free college sophomore.

Peyton

Peyton began struggling with severe headaches, joint pain and overall fatigue in early January 2017. Within a week, these pains escalated and were accompanied by blurred vision and jaw pain. This resulted in a trip to the ER. Her immediate diagnosis was leukemia, which was later identified to be Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia. Peyton went through chemotherapy and was declared to be in remission, but routine scans in the summer of 2017 revealed that she had relapsed. Peyton then underwent more chemotherapy, a round of CAR T-Cell therapy and a second bone marrow transplant. The CAR T-Cell therapy was instrumental in pushing her back into remission, and Rally helped fund the research that made this therapy possible. Nearly 180 days after her last transplant, Peyton was cleared to go back to school in the fall of 2018 after being away from the classroom since her diagnosis. Peyton is now a student at UNC Chapel Hill and doing great!

Alexa

Mere days after her first birthday, Alexa was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma and given a 20% chance for survival. Fortunately, Alexa was enrolled in a clinical trial; for the next three years, she underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. After a few years of healthy childhood, Alexa began to experience several medical issues as a result of the cancer treatments she received as a young child. Alexa’s spine began to curve sideways and inward towards her organs. The inward curve began pushing against her lungs; along with the scarring from chemotherapy, she ended up with only a 20% lung capacity. In January 2008, Alexa flew to St. Louis to have scoliosis and lordosis surgery in order to straighten her spine and give her room to breathe. The results were amazing. She returned to Atlanta for physical and occupational therapy and tried to get back to some normalcy. Alexa was far from being normal; she was a beautiful girl with a big, bright smile and an amazing attitude. She loved school—especially math and reading—as well as helping others, playing the piano and having fun with all of her friends. Alexa was so full of life, but sadly, she passed away on Thanksgiving Day 2008 at the age of 11, with her family by her side.