In November 2024, Alora was diagnosed with cancer. Her parents first noticed something unusual when they saw a bright orb in her eye while taking photos. Trusting their instincts, they took her to the doctor, and within a day their world turned upside down. Alora began treatment immediately to save her life.
Because of her diagnosis, Alora lost her left eye. While this has made seeing a bit more difficult at times, she continues to adapt with incredible strength and positivity. Her family describes her as a true warrior who faces every challenge with a smile. She goes to monthly chemotherapy treatments and never loses her bright spirit, even on the hardest days.
The past few years have been especially difficult for Alora’s family. Before her diagnosis, they suffered the devastating loss of their oldest son in a tragic accident. Navigating grief while supporting Alora through treatment has been unimaginably hard, both emotionally and financially. Life has been put on hold in many ways, and her parents often have to spend extra time with her because of her medical needs. Still, through all of it, they do their best to stay strong for one another.
Alora, lovingly called “Lolo,” is a ray of sunshine. She is wild, funny, and full of energy. She loves riding the quad with her older brother and having dance parties that fill the house with laughter. Her joy is contagious, and her strength inspires everyone who knows her.
Her family says she is their biggest hero, a brave, silly, and loving little girl who never misses a chance to make someone smile.
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.
Hudson was diagnosed with retinoblastoma almost four years ago to the day. His mom’s intuition told her something was off because his eyes seemed a little unaligned. Just a week later, he was rushed to start chemotherapy treatment.
Hudson has faced new challenges since his cancer treatment. He was recently diagnosed with mild neurocognitive disorder and autism, both of which are direct results of his treatments. This is a new journey his family is navigating together.
Over two years, Hudson underwent 22 general anesthesia procedures. These treatments affected parts of his brain, impacting his behavior and development, and have changed his everyday life.
His family has grieved the life they once imagined with every step of this journey. Just when they thought they had overcome the hardest parts of cancer, new difficulties have emerged, but they face them with love and determination.
Hudson is a very silly boy who loves all things construction and vehicles. His playful spirit brings joy to everyone around him.
Hana was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in 2021 when she was just five months old. Her parents noticed a glow in her eye, which led to further testing and ultimately, the discovery of tumors.
Her diagnosis has meant that Hana’s family must always be alert. While her vision may be slightly affected due to a large calcified tumor in one eye, she doesn’t seem to have any trouble right now. Because of a genetic mutation, she is at higher risk for developing other cancers throughout her life, so her parents stay watchful for any unusual symptoms.
Hana has already been through so much. She’s completed four rounds of systemic chemotherapy and three rounds of intra-arterial chemotherapy, which is delivered directly through an artery. She’s had multiple MRIs and countless sedated eye exams. Her care team is based in New York City, so her family travels from Wisconsin for her medical appointments. In the beginning, they had to make the trip every four weeks. Now, thanks to her stable condition, they return every six months. The travel is expensive and often means being separated from their oldest daughter, which is never easy.
Despite the emotional and financial challenges, Hana’s cancer journey has brought incredible support and meaningful connections to her family. They are deeply grateful for every single day they have together and take life one moment at a time.
Now three years old, Hana is a spunky little girl with a heart full of sweetness. Even at her young age, she’s thoughtful and always looking out for others. She loves to make her family laugh and keeps them smiling with her playful, spirited personality.
Hope session by Birch Lane Photography by Amber | Facebook | Instagram
Our journey with cancer began when Julia was just 1.5 months old. We noticed her eyes drifting, but our concerns were dismissed for months. By the time we finally got answers, we were told she had the worst-graded tumors in both of her eyes. We were also told she would likely not survive. The only treatment option was in New York—at our own expense.
Now, seven years later, Julia is still fighting. She lost her right eye nine months into treatment, and every day, we fight to save the vision in her remaining eye. She has endured more than 200 rounds of anesthesia, over 20 surgeries, and even a moment when her heart stopped during surgery. She has never reached remission—yet—but she continues to face her battle with incredible strength and grace.
Cancer has changed every aspect of our lives. Julia is blind, she has missed so much school, and we have had to fight tirelessly for both her medical care and her right to an education. Financially, it has been devastating—we have moved multiple times to keep up with bills, and I haven’t been able to return to my nursing career because of the constant travel to New York for treatment. Through it all, our faith has been our foundation. We have lost friends and family along the way—some people just don’t know how to handle the weight of what we live with every day. But we choose grace, and we choose to make the most of the life we do have.
Despite everything, Julia radiates kindness, warmth, and joy. She is the harmony in our lives—a beautifully spoken, gentle soul who loves her brothers fiercely and adores animals. She finds joy in playing, being silly, and embracing life with an unbreakable spirit. Her story is still being written, and we are so proud to be by her side as she fills it with love, laughter, and resilience.
Ava was only 2 months old when she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. She had a cross eye, which we, as new parents, were assured was normal for newborns. She wouldn’t not make eye contact yet and was frequently looking toward lights. At her 2 month old pediatrician appointment, she began having rapid eye movements that were abnormal and we were referred to an eye specialist. Within a week or so, Ava had been diagnosed with eye cancer and we were off to Philadelphia (from Virginia) to see the leading provider for this cancer.
Ava received systemic chemotherapy for 6 months. During that time, she also had tumors in both of her eyes treated with laser and cryotherapy. After only 2 months of stability, Ava had recurrence of her tumor growth and then had to receive intra arterial chemotherapy delivered by a neurosurgeon via a specialized procedure that gave chemo into her ophthalmic artery. In between treating both of her eyes with this, she had some chemo injected directly into the vitreous fluid of her eye. She routinely received MRIs and Eye Exams under anesthesia to evaluate tumor growth and to ensure that cancer had no spread into the brain.
Ava’s diagnosis and treatment have made us realize how precious life is and that we should value every minute that we have in this life. We have met so many amazing people and families that have helped us along the way. We also have realized just how amazing kids are!
