Nolan was just five months old when his family’s world shifted. What seemed like the flu turned out to be something far more serious. One night he woke up crying and couldn’t be comforted. His mom trusted her instincts and took him to the emergency room. After a long wait, they received the devastating news: Nolan had acute myeloid leukemia.
They were admitted immediately, and the hospital became their home for the next six months. Nolan underwent five rounds of chemotherapy. With each one, he became neutropenic, leaving him highly vulnerable to infection. Every round brought fevers that lasted for weeks and required heavy-duty antibiotics. His mom stayed by his side through it all, leaving her job to care for him. The financial and emotional toll has been heavy, and the impact is something they’re still working through together as a family.
Now almost two years old, Nolan is thriving outside of the hospital. He may have a speech delay, but that doesn’t stop him from sharing his big personality. He is fearless, affectionate, and full of joy. He loves music, especially music therapy sessions that became a bright spot during treatment. These days he’s also a big fan of anything with wheels, playing outside, and splashing in water.
He’s known for being silly and full of energy, although he turns very serious the moment a camera comes out. He loves people and rarely wants to be alone. His family stays close too. After everything they’ve been through, they do almost everything together. His mom says she gets separation anxiety if they’re apart for too long.
Nolan is a double rainbow baby, a miracle who came after a long season of loss and heartbreak. He has been a light since the beginning, and today he continues to be a source of joy and love for everyone who knows him.
Rosemarie was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) on August 8, 2024. Leading up to her diagnosis, she experienced persistent, severe headaches, frequent fevers, unexplained bruises, and nosebleeds. These troubling signs led to the discovery that would change her family’s life forever.
As a result of her diagnosis, Rosemarie has to avoid many of the things she loves like playing in the sun, swimming, and even touching sand or dirt because her immune system is now compromised. She’s endured five intense cycles of chemotherapy, each one involving a 10-day treatment followed by 28 days in the hospital. Now, she’s undergoing treatment following a bone marrow transplant.
Rosemarie’s cancer journey has deeply impacted her family. As a single mother of four, her mom had to leave her job and relocate the children to different schools. Their world has shifted completely, and they are navigating life with limited income and a whole lot of strength.
Through it all, Rosemarie remains a bright light. She’s friendly, talkative, and absolutely loves being outside. Her favorite things include painting nails, dressing up, and all things pink, especially Hello Kitty and princesses. She adores taking photos and has a contagious smile that lights up the room.
Her mom hopes to receive portraits that capture just Rosemarie, images that celebrate her courage and beauty. With her hair lost to chemo, this session is about reminding Rosemarie how truly radiant and powerful she is. These images will be treasured reminders of her strength and the brave journey she’s walking.
Adrian’s journey with cancer began on January 1st, 2025, a day his family will never forget. In the weeks leading up to his diagnosis, he battled illness after illness: strep, RSV, and an ear infection. Then a pattern of symptoms no parent ever wants to see, bruising, severe fatigue, loss of appetite, and dangerously high fevers. Despite multiple visits to the ER, his family was told it was just viral. But his mom knew something wasn’t right. When she noticed bleeding on his gums, she trusted her gut and demanded thorough testing, and finally, they got an answer: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
Since then, Adrian has bravely endured three rounds of chemotherapy, three spinal taps, three bone marrow biopsies, and surgery to place a double lumen port. Each step of treatment has meant long inpatient stays far from home, financial stress, and emotional tolls from being separated as a family. His mom has stepped away from work to care for him full-time, while his dad works reduced hours to be by their side.
And yet, Adrian shines.
He’s a jokester through and through, the kind of kid whose laughter fills a room and whose smile can break through even the hardest days. He’s resilient, brave, and bursting with personality. He loves superheroes, especially Spiderman and the Hulk, and he dances, sings, and lights up any space he’s in. Nothing, not even cancer, has dimmed his spirit.
Adrian’s story is one of strength, faith, and fierce love. His family has leaned into their faith more than ever, finding hope in the hardest moments and choosing joy wherever they can. He’s not just a fighter, he’s a superhero in his own right.
Ava was diagnosed with leukemia in August 2023. In the weeks leading up to her diagnosis, she was unusually fatigued, developed unexplained bruising, and didn’t want to walk—symptoms that quickly became serious indicators of something much bigger.
Since then, Ava has been undergoing chemotherapy. Unfortunately, her journey has come with added complications: a recent biopsy revealed a clone that could make her resistant to treatment, along with abnormalities in her myeloid cells. Another biopsy is underway to reassess her condition, and her care team is awaiting results from a specialized myeloid panel to determine the next steps.
Ava’s diagnosis has reshaped life for her entire family. Social events and vacations have been put on hold to protect her from illness, and collision activities like soccer or gym are off-limits due to dangerously low platelet counts. Like many families walking this road, they’ve also faced mental health challenges and now rely on therapy and psychiatry to help navigate the emotional toll.
But despite it all, Ava is such a bright, imaginative, and loving child. She lights up at the chance to do crafts or dive into pretend play. She adores helping with her baby sister and is currently obsessed with dinosaurs. Her gentle, curious spirit shines through even during the hardest moments.
Her family wants others to know how important the bone marrow registry is—not only for Ava but for countless kids like her. Signing up could truly save a life.
Audrey was diagnosed with AML on January 3rd. She is currently in remission!! She is one spicy and full of life 2 year old. She has two older brothers that she adores. Her dad, Jeremy, also had leukemia when he was 2 years old so this really hit home and was hard for me.
Before her diagnosis, she was moody, easily irritated, didn’t want to eat, and was sometimes listless. We went in on July 4th, 2023 to see ER doctor. They did labs and we were quickly careflighted to Cook Children’s in Fort Worth. After 3 days- they didn’t find anything. We went home and on Jan 4t, 2024 she awoke with a horrible bloody nose. We came to Cooks and here we are.
Her diagnosis required her and I to pretty much live in the hospital. Her treatments are a month long at a time so we pretty much live here which leaves my husband and 2 boys (ages 6 and 5) at home. It has really been a season of growth.
Adelina has always been a happy and energetic child. In early 2023, we felt she had never-ending cold symptoms and after taking her to the pediatrician multiple times, they brushed it off as normal. Fast forward a few weeks, Adelina began throwing excessive tantrums in which she would intentionally hit her head against hard surfaces. This led to petechiae & bruising popping up on her face, which ultimately caused concern for us (parents) and we took her to the ER. She was diagnosed with AML on May 30, 2023.
Adelina has successfully completed 3 rounds of chemo treatment. Each round has been different from one another. She has received 2-3 chemo drugs over several days with each round. At the end of each round, she has an EKG and ECHO done, along with a Lumbar Puncture & Bone Marrow Aspirate. This doesn’t include all the other meds she receives daily to prevent infections.
On the few days we do get to spend at home between rounds, Adelina is mostly sheltered. We sometimes see our immediate family as long as no one is sick, but she also can’t be in crowded places or visit the local playground. When we’re impatient, she does not get the opportunity to play with other kids because all the kids on her side of the floor are immunocompromised.
Everything has changed. Being that we spend 4 to 5 weeks living at the hospital, we don’t get to create new memories or start new traditions with our daughter. Her diagnosis has also paused us to continue to grow our family. While we should be taking the time to focus solely on her, both Dad & I still need to work to pay our regular bills & now the additional medical expenses that we never anticipated.
Chemo has dimmed so much of her positive light. She used to laugh & smile all the time, but now we fight just to get a smile out of her. Adelina loves her cousins, and whenever she sees them – she lights up and laughs at everything. She loves to climb & explore, absolutely loves the outdoors, she enjoys playing with toys that she can pull apart or build back up. More than anything, she loves water! But because of her broviac, she can’t get wet. She loves to play guitar like her dad and sing, even though we have no clue what she’s saying.
