Julia was diagnosed with cancer on January 17, 2024. In the weeks leading up to her diagnosis, her mom began noticing little signs like her energy slowly faded, she winced in pain at even the gentlest touch, and she started having trouble making it to the bathroom in time. Then came the nosebleeds, shortness of breath (which they thought was anxiety), and a low-grade fever that didn’t make much sense. She grew pale and yellow, stopped eating and drinking, and the morning she was diagnosed, she couldn’t walk or talk.
Julia has endured intense treatment, daily oral chemotherapy, countless rounds of IV chemo, lumbar punctures, immunotherapy, steroid bursts, blood and platelet transfusions, and multiple infections that led to replacing her port. She experiences severe neuropathy in her legs and feet, requiring braces and physical therapy just to keep her steady. Through all of this, her mom, her primary caregiver and biggest advocate, has carried the weight, navigating work flexibility, financial strain, and the emotional toll of a childhood cancer diagnosis.
Despite it all, Julia lights up every room she enters. She’s full of life and completely magnetic. She makes friends everywhere, literally. Her mom shared a story of a woman who met Julia in Petco. Julia asked her name and about her dog, not knowing the woman was in a dark place due to her husband’s declining health. That one small connection meant everything to her. And that’s just who Julia is—kind, curious, joy-filled, and always making others feel seen.
She loves the spotlight, and honestly, it loves her right back. Singing, dancing, telling jokes. Julia is a natural-born performer and her personality is larger than life. She’s faced unimaginable hardship, but through it all, she’s been a light to everyone around her. Her strength, humor, and love for life are nothing short of heroic.
Julia, you are truly everyone’s best friend and our superhero!
Savanah was diagnosed with cancer in November 2023. Her journey began when her family noticed a lump on her head near her forehead hairline. Despite multiple visits to different doctors and normal bloodwork, the lump continued to grow. It wasn’t until a biopsy was finally done that they received the devastating news—it was cancer.
Since her diagnosis, Savanah has undergone very intense chemotherapy. While she now experiences some weakness, she continues to show incredible resilience through it all. The diagnosis has impacted every aspect of her family’s life. The weight of treatment, worry, and change has been a heavy burden, but they continue to move forward together.
Savanah is a bright and thoughtful girl who finds joy in books and music. She also truly enjoys going to school. Even while facing so much, her love for learning and her gentle spirit shine through.
Savanah’s strength and courage are a reminder of the power of hope and determination in the face of adversity. She continues to inspire those around her with her quiet bravery and sweet heart.
Ashton was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2023. Her journey began when her family took her to the ER for a CT scan, which revealed a tumor. Just two days later, she underwent a 12-hour brain surgery, followed by a second surgery. Since then, Ashton has endured long-term posterior fossa syndrome, ovarian tissue preservation in hopes of becoming a mother one day, six weeks of radiation, and is now completing eight rounds of chemotherapy.
Before her diagnosis, Ashton began experiencing dizziness when standing, which progressed into severe headaches, lethargy, and vomiting. The first ER visit resulted in a migraine diagnosis, but two weeks later, a second visit and CT scan confirmed what her family feared—something was seriously wrong. She was rushed to Cincinnati Children’s ICU, where her fight began.
Ashton now faces limitations due to long-term posterior fossa syndrome. This has caused challenges with walking and balance, speech difficulties, learning delays, and cognitive struggles. Despite these challenges, she faces each day with incredible strength.
Her treatments and procedures have been extensive, and her family has faced financial strain from household bills and groceries while caring for Ashton. Life for their family has changed forever. Living in the hospital, managing four other daughters at home, and navigating the emotional toll of this diagnosis has been overwhelming. But through it all, Ashton’s resilience has brought her family closer together. Her sisters are fiercely protective of her, and their bond is stronger than ever.
Ashton has a heart of gold. She is loving, thoughtful, and always puts others before herself. She loves makeup, doing her skincare routine, and anything creative. Crafting is one of her favorite things, and her sisters make her laugh the most.
Ashton is an inspiration for her strength and courage. She refuses to let cancer define her and continues to face every challenge with grace and compassion for others.
Gunnar Haseltine was diagnosed with ALL leukemia in February 2024. He is currently in maintenance and doing great.
His journey began after environmental toxin exposure led to symptoms like foot pain, fatigue, and jaundice.
Thankfully, Gunnar does not have any lasting limitations due to his diagnosis.
He has completed six rounds of chemotherapy and is now in maintenance treatment for the next year. One of the biggest challenges for his family has been financial. His mom is his full-time caretaker and has had to stop working to care for him.
Gunnar’s cancer diagnosis has changed their family in profound ways. It has made them more thankful for every day together and helped them slow down and appreciate life’s simplest moments. They do their best to “count it all as joy” and live with a deepened awareness of how precious life truly is.
Gunnar is full of joy. He’s a jokester who loves practical jokes and dressing up to fight bad guys in his superhero costumes. He’s naturally protective, smart, loving, and kind. He adores the outdoors, spending time with family, playing with his silly dog Disa, and talking about Jesus and his grandparents.
His mom says he’s a miracle. From his personality to the way he moves through life, Gunnar has brought his whole family closer to God and to one another in ways that are hard to explain but deeply felt.
Aria was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in November 2022.
Her story began before she ever showed symptoms. Aria’s mom had cancer as an infant as well, so her doctors tested Aria’s cord blood at birth. At just two weeks old, her results came back positive, and a tumor was spotted the following week. She was officially diagnosed at Primary Children’s Hospital shortly after.
Aria does not have any limitations due to her diagnosis.
She has undergone numerous sedated eye exams, laser therapy, cryotherapy, and chemotherapy. Her mom is a single parent with no child support, so financial struggles have been a part of their journey since the beginning.
Aria’s diagnosis meant big changes for their family. They moved from Montana to Utah for her care. Her mom works full time but cannot use daycare due to the risk of illness, so she pays for a reliable babysitter at home.
Aria is a curious, funny little girl who can hardly focus because there’s so much she wants to see and do. She laughs easily and loves Frozen and Bluey.
Her family wants you to know that her cancer will never define her or limit what she can do.
He had about a year of headaches, nausea, and progressive weakness. His doctors worked hard to figure out what was happening. At first, imaging showed hydrocephalus and what was thought to be a benign tumor called a tectal glioma. This type of tumor was expected to be watched but not aggressively treated. However, during the second year after diagnosis, the tumor began to grow faster than expected. A recent biopsy surprised even the oncologist. Kanon was diagnosed with a high grade glioma that is not treatable. He will receive radiation to slow the tumor’s growth and extend his life. The average survival after diagnosis is fifteen months.
Because of the biopsy, Kanon has an injury to his optic nerve, which causes double vision and poor balance. He often wears an eye patch to help with this.
Kanon has had an external drain for cerebrospinal fluid, an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) with an internal drain, and a brain stem biopsy.
This diagnosis has been devastating for the family. Kanon has an older brother and a younger sister, and they are very close. Both his mother and father are currently not working so they can stay home and care for him. Radiation treatment will begin soon, and the family is unsure how it will affect them.
Kanon is a jokester who always makes people laugh. He fist bumps everyone he meets. He loves Star Wars and video games. Before his biopsy, he enjoyed trampoline time and riding his bicycle, though he hasn’t done much of either recently.
It has only been a few days since the diagnosis. The social worker advised the family to wait and bring everyone together at Dornbecker to talk about it. The family hopes to capture moments of joy before grief takes hold.
