My family’s journey with pediatric cancer began on a school night that ended with a scream and a race to the emergency room. My daughter, Amari, had blood in her urine, and what we thought would be a quick ER visit quickly turned into something none of us expected. Around 3 AM, a doctor asked me to step into the hallway. “If you have ever waited for news about your child, you know how heavy those moments feel.”
That is when we heard the words that changed everything. They had found a tumor on her kidney. We were suddenly entering a world we had never imagined: that of pediatric cancer.
Doctors initially believed they would need to remove her entire left kidney. But one doctor shared a small thread of hope. If treatment worked well enough, they might be able to remove the tumor while preserving part of it. After weeks of chemotherapy and a long surgery day, the doctors delivered the news we had been hoping for. They removed the tumor and preserved about 60 percent of her healthy kidney.
But the journey was not over. The tumor was diagnosed as Stage 3 anaplastic Wilms tumor, which meant 32 weeks of chemotherapy. There were long hospital days, exhaustion, and moments that broke me as a mother. But there were also moments of joy. She kept cheering with her teammates and even met the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the women she dreams of becoming one day.
From the beginning, I made one promise to my daughters. I would never lie to them. We faced every step together. Throughout treatment we watched videos of other children ringing the bell at the end of chemotherapy. We imagined the day it would be her turn. And then one day, it was.
Surrounded by doctors, nurses, family, and friends, she rang the bell to mark the end of treatment. That day also happened to fall on my late mother’s birthday. Today, Amari is in survivorship.
”If there is one thing I want other families to know, it is this. Do not lose hope. And when the bell rings, it is a sound you will never forget.”
– Cora H., mom to Amari
Today, Amari is thriving. She loves the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, K-pop, Demon Slayer, Target, Barbies, and dancing. Throughout her journey, she never let her diagnosis dim her light or stop her from doing what she loves most, which is cheerleading. She is a reminder of why this work matters and what is possible when families are supported and research moves forward.
June is Cancer Survivors Month, and Amari’s story is one of thousands. Your donation helps ensure that more children get the chance to ring the bell, to keep cheering, and to grow into everything they dream of becoming. Make an impact this Cancer Survivors Month.
