OUR WHY
The Fighting Kids Cancer℠ campaign exists to fund additional, lifesaving resources for the pediatric oncology and hematology program in partnership with Carilion Clinic. Together, we are working to ensure more children and families can access top-tier, lifesaving care close to home.
For many families, traveling far from their hometown and support system during a medical crisis is not only emotionally overwhelming, but simply not possible. By investing in care right here in our region, we help remove barriers, strengthen outcomes, and give children the opportunity to heal surrounded by the people and places that matter most.
Join us as we bring hope, access, and lifesaving healthcare to Southwest Virginia—so every child has the chance for a brighter, healthier future.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CARILION CLINIC
OUR AMBASSADORS
THEIR STORIES
Pediatric cancer and blood disorders threaten the most precious things in life you will ever have…your children. Diagnosis is a blindside catastrophe you could never be, and should never be, prepared for. When it happens, it is life shattering and terrifying. There are no words to describe these feelings. A parent is not built to see their children suffer. The torment of watching the disease burden take its toll on your baby is gutting. Worse still, sometimes the treatments can be more tolling and painful than the disease itself. Fighting these battles is an unnatural journey that injures and scars the entire family and village.
CHARLOTTE WOOLWINE
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.
PARIS SWISHER
In August 2019, our sixteen-year-old daughter Paris went from excitedly preparing for band camp to being rush to the ER after suffering a seizure. Tests revealed a massive brain tumor. Despite intensive treatments, the cancer progressed and Paris passed away at home in our arms on November 16, 2022. While brain cancer remains devastatingly common and glioblastoma remains nearly always fatal, Paris’s life stands as a testament to courage, grace, and love beyond measure
ASPEN FRANKLIN
Aspen is a 13-year-old living with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). She was diagnosed at only 16 months old and has underwent years of chemotherapy, high dose steroids, a failed bone marrow transplant, years of hospital admissions, and several clinical trials in the last decade. She is currently enrolled in a small, early phase clinical trial and her family is hopeful that this medication could keep her stable long term.
Aspen loves books, art, and being an amazing big sister to her siblings. Despite everything, her kindness, resilience, and infectious smile bring joy to everyone she meets.
MIKEY SMITH
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.
Juanita Prada
At the age of 10, I was diagnosed with pre-B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. There were many complications during my treatment, such as a near-death experience and undergoing a state of coma, a stroke that paralyzed me from head to toe, multiple central nervous system infracts, and an infection that required portacath removal. Due to this, I was hospitalized for a year straight and had to do various therapies to re-learn how to talk, walk, eat, write, count, tie my shoes, and do all my activities of daily living. I completed treatment in 2006, but six months later at the age of 13, I had a CNS relapse. Due to the various health complications that happened during my two cancer treatments, I decided to take action and speak up for the late effects one suffers from surviving pediatric cancer or blood disorders - founding Behold Be Gold!
JAMES MOLEDOR
I was twelve years old when I was diagnosed with Leukemia on November 14, 2018. Luckily, I had many wonderful people supporting me throughout my treatment. It was the help of my friends and family that would shine a light through my darkest times.. By the end of my treatment, I would meet so many people who would forever change my life… Three other kids getting cancer treatment became some of my best friends. One of us didn’t survive cancer, and the other 3 served as pallbearers for her funeral. That was hard. Eventually I finished my treatment, I beat my cancer, and I rang the bell on March 6, 2021. If I could share any advice, it would be to just keep smiling. Laughter is the best medicine.
ROWAN PRICE
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
TRIPP POATS
Tripp was originally diagnosed with leukemia in September 2019 at the age of three and underwent 2-1/2 years of chemotherapy. Tripp and his family enjoyed a cancer-free year and a half until his leukemia relapsed in September of 2023. He began treatment locally and suffered some major complications that caused him to be admitted to the hospital and eventually the PICU in Roanoke. His family made the decision to have him transferred to Cincinnati Children’s hospital to recover from complications and to continue treatment.
Tripp returned home recently after an inpatient stay of 142 days. He’s doing a lot better, but is still dealing with some of the side effects from the complications around his treatment. He will return to Cincinnati periodically to receive stronger chemotherapies, but can take many of the medications at home. He will receive a total of 2-1/2 years of treatment yet again.
ELEANOR WASHBURN
Born February 4, 2018, Eleanor was vibrant, feisty, loving, and sweet. She loved music and movies, Taylor Swift, Frozen and Tangled were some of her favorites. Much like her idols, she accepted any challenge set before her with a spirited independence. Medulloblastoma tried to steal Eleanor’s spirit but she fought this relentless enemy with heart, tenacity, and a child’s innocence. Everything about pediatric cancer is hard. During her 15 month battle, specialized treatments were hard to find or non-existent in Virginia, and those that were available were logistically difficult to navigate. We know having a facility like this within our community will make a substantial difference for families facing the unthinkable.
CHASE O’BRIEN
In August of 2021 Chase started his first year of school, Kindergarten! What was supposed to be a year full of joy, cultivating friendships, and learning quickly turned into the fight of his life. Less than 24 hours from arriving in the ER, Chase emerged from a 10 hour brain surgery. We did not know if he would wake up, but he did. Once awake, we partnered with our Child Life Specialist to help him understand what happened. A few weeks later, we were transferred to Children’s National in DC to finalize a plan of attack to remove and / or stop the growth of the remaining 30% of the tumor.
