On September 27, 2018, our three-year-old daughter Charlotte was rushed from a routine pediatrician visit to the hospital, where we learned she had stage 4 metastatic hepatoblastoma, a rare pediatric liver cancer that had spread to her lungs. Within 24 hours, she had a port surgically implanted and began aggressive chemotherapy. Everything happened with shocking speed, and our lives were forever changed. With no local experience treating her cancer, we sought out Dr. James Geller at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, leaving behind our newborn son and relocating to Ohio, where Charlotte would spend the next 200 days living full-time in the hospital.

In March of 2020, Mikey began having unexplained fevers and extreme fatigue. He was experiencing pain in his legs that was so bad he was unable to walk most days. Doctors ran all types of tests that never showed anything unusual. They just assumed it was growing pains and he would grow out of it. As time went on, it continued to gradually get worse. He was spending about 75-80% of his days sleeping and had no energy at all. He was barely walking on good days. November 11, 2020, our worst fears were confirmed when I was told Mikey had cancer. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Every second of that day is burned into my memory like a horrible nightmare.

On Sunday, September 15, 2019, our hearts forever shattered into a million pieces. Our beautiful, spunky, smiley, tenacious 4-year-old daughter passed away despite our family’s and doctors’ best efforts. We ran out of options; we ran out of time. Now, with our motto through all of Rowan’s treatment, “one step at a time”, we pick ourselves back up and Row On to find a cure for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Rowan’s smile and spirit touched our souls, and the light she left will Ever Glow. She has inspired us to DO MORE. We want everyone to know that kids get cancer and blood disorders and it is not “rare”, and that funding for research is critical to their survival along with enhanced resources at the local level to stay close to home, loved ones, and support system