Frankie's Wish Day
Here we go! Get ready! Get set! Let’s fly!
KeiraStrong Forever rolled out another amazing Wish Day and this time we pulled out all the stops for Frankie! He went Skydiving!
Frankie is an 18-year-old young man who has relapsed with Hodgekin’s Lymphoma. His wish was to jump out of a plane and fly! If there is one thing our Wish Day team knows how to do, its GO BIG OR GO HOME!
We partnered with Skydive STL and JED Limosines to bring you the ultimate thrill wish day!
Operation Flying Frankie was a success!
Chloe's Wish Day
We are so excited for Chloe’s Wish coming up soon on September 27th! Check back to our blog soon to see that smile! Happy Wish Day Chloe!
Wish Days
Our wish days started with Keira who was surprised by Santa on December 23rd, 2017 on her front lawn with a special wish that was too big to fit on his sleigh. After picking up his jacket, her ultimate wish was revealed...a perfect, purple moped. After Keira's passing, we hope to continue to see that joy come alive for some very sick children battling cancer through our #KeiraStrong Forever Wish Days. Wish Days give a child with cancer a chance to enjoy some of their favorite things or experience something they've always wanted. It is a chance to give them and their families a moment of joy that cancer can't steal away from them. If you would like to sponsor a Wish Day, fill out the form on our contact page.
A Wish for Iliana
A Wish for Ahna
We have a new Wish Day recipient!!! Ahna Rasmussen, age 11. Ahna was diagnosed with Poorly differentiated thyroid cancer with a papillary component and has relapsed after original diagnosis. This type of cancer is very rare, aggressive and difficult to treat. It is so rare that there have only been a few cases in children, only a few cases in children in the entire WORLD. Since this is so rare in children the Children’s Cancer centers are not able to treat her and she is being treated as an adult. Due to her being treated as an adult, she doesn't get all of the special attention from the foundations and organizations in St. Louis. Ahna looks like any other beautiful 11 year old girl, but the difference is She has a horrible monster growing inside her body. When people see her, they don’t see that she’s a sick girl, who is fighting for her life, because she doesn’t look like other children with cancer. Not everyone with cancer looks sick, or has a bald head. You never know the battles that another person may be fighting. So, because this precious little girl is now fighting this monster for a second time and this family hasn’t had the support through the cancer center like we did since the beginning of her treatment, #KeirastrongForever is giving her a special day! No family should have to go through this on their own! So, let’s show this family how amazing our group is and how they are not alone! #NoOneFightsAlone #AWishForAhna #SupportingAhna
Ahna’s wish was to enjoy a typical “pre-tween” day with her girlfriends. She wanted a day of magic and joy that cancer couldn’t touch. Our #overachieving Wish Day team flew into action and once again, made the impossible...possible.
WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/keirastrongforever/videos/171625270131835/
A Wish for Alec
Today we had Alec’s Wish Day and let me just tell you all...it was AMAZING! It began with Joe Newman picking Alec, his family and friends up in a shuttle limousine filled with his favorite snacks and drinks. Then, off to Amp It Up Action Park for his birthday party. Since Alec is a sports car enthusiast, we headed over to STL Motorcars for pictures and a ride in a Lamborghini! Finally, the family had a wonderful dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Clayton. Seeing Alec hang out with his friends, just being a kid, smiling, laughing, and even getting emotional when he found out about the cars was the most amazing thing ever! This is why we do what we do...for moments like these!!
I can’t thank everyone enough for making this day possible for Alec and his family! #TeamAlec #AlecsWishDay
To follow Alec’s journey, please go to his Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Alec-Ingrams-fight-with-Cancer-815312145216741/
A Wish for Roland
We would like to announce our next #KeiraStrongForever Wish Day recipient, sweet Roland 💜
Roland is a 10-year-old boy who was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer called undifferentiated carcinoma of the thymus on May 13, 2016.
Since then, he had 3 surgeries, completed 970 hours of chemo and 20 hours of radiation. He was pronounced NED until August of 2017. The cancer had returned with 7 tumors this time. His family was told without treatment he was looking at less than 3 months to live. After a few more rounds of radiation, Roland has been put on hospice care.
Roland passed away in February of 2018. Fly High, Superhero Roland.
A Wish For Adleigh
This past Sunday we did our 5th Wish Day for an amazing little girl! 3-year-old Adleigh was diagnosed with Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) which is a highly aggressive and difficult to treat brain tumor found at the base of the brain. DIPG is a horrible monster that does not have any successful treatment plans. When we found out about Adleigh we knew we had to do something. So, with the help of many we had a magical day for Adleigh, her family and friends. Seeing the smile on this little girls face is why we do what we do! This smile is worth it all! Cancer takes so much from these precious children, their childhood, their innocence, their freedom, their time with their friends and family and all we want to do is give them a little bit of that back to them, even if it is just for a day💜
Adleigh began her Wish Day at American Girl where she was treated like the special princess she is. Adleigh was given many special gifts, including a brand new doll, outfits, ear piercing, nails painted and hair dos tor the dolls, that was donated by American Girl (Chesterfield, MO). Then her friends and family piled into a limo from JED Limousine and headed to Imogene's Tea Room where they were greeted by unicorns from A Zoo for You and Princesses from Dream Time Princess Events. The girls had gift bags, dress up clothes, tea, snacks, songs, dancing and the day was finished off with Adleigh meeting her new best friend, Max, an English Bulldog puppy! It was truly a magical day for an amazing princess! 🦄
UPDATE: With sorrowful hearts, we have to say that sweet Adleigh passed away on November 30, 2018. In her honor, the family has started a foundation in her name. You can learn more about her namesake charity, Adleigh is Forever by visiting: www.theAIFfoundation.com
#KeirastrongForever #Morethan4
A Wish For Brynn
Brynn was a 15-year-old girl with Ewing Sarcoma. Brynn had been fighting cancer for 5 years since she was 10. In addition to a wish for a kitten to love, Brynn wished for a day to be a "typical" teenager with her friends. Since we don't know how to do anything small, we partnered with Universal Pictures to fulfill the ultimate dream of a private screening and our very own red-carpet premiere of the film, Pitch Perfect 3, just for Brynn and her closest friends. 💜
Tim Ezell and his production team surprised Brynn at her home with a knock and shock followed by the reveal of her very own stretch limousine, driven by Joe Newman with JED limousine, for the night. She was driven to another location where she was surprised by 14 of her closest girlfriends screaming her name and dressed in specially made Pitch Perfect t-shirts. They all piled into the limo, danced and sang into pretend microphones to a personalized playlist, took selfies and made memories none of them will ever forget. 💜
They arrived at the Galaxy theater in Chesterfield on the red carpet. They made their way to the specially made Pitch Perfect candy bar in a private theater set up just for them. It was hard not to smile at the giggles and cheers coming from inside the theaters during the movie. 💜
Cancer took a backseat tonight. Actually, we shoved it in the trunk and told it to stay there. Brynn deserved a day of joy that cancer could not take away. This young woman is the definition of a warrior and a hero. She is braver than anyone should have to be at this age. 💜
On behalf of #KeiraStrongForever and the entire Wish Day team, we want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this day possible for Brynn and her family. I can only imagine the smile on Keira’s face as she looked down and saw this entire thing unfold! You are all ACA-AWESOME! 💜
UPDATE: We are heartbroken to announce that Brynn Haun passed away on January 5th, 2018. Fly high, sweet Brynn.
For more pictures of Brynn's Wish Day: http://aaronkranzphotography.zenfolio.com/p774170297
A Wish for Arianna
Arianna was an 11-year-old girl battling neueoblastoma. She was diagnosed when she was 2 and fought for 9 years. Her wish day team came together, in less than 18 hours, to bring her ultimate wish of having a Goldendoodle puppy before she passed. She was able to spend quite a bit of time with her puppy, Coco Chanel before she passed on November 11, 2017. Fly High, Sweet Arianna!
A Wish for Grant
Our wish day for Grant was scheduled for the end of November and things were well underway to grant his wish of being able to go to Chuck E Cheese and be able to ride on a firetruck. However, still one month before his scheduled wish day event, his parents received the devastating news that he had days if a couple weeks to live because his tumors had tripled in size and metastasized to his lungs. Our wish day team flew into action and we were able to recreate being together for one last time on Christmas morning. The same night as we received the details, the battle cry was sent out to hundreds of people and gifts were personally shopped for and wrapped for Grant, his 2 brothers and his mom and dad. We received well over 200 gifts for this family in a matter of a few hours. Fresh snow was shoveled in overnight by 3 different fire stations and placed on their front lawn. In just over 24 hours, our wish day team had achieved the impossible. When the door opened on Sunday morning, the family was greeted by Santa on his sleigh full of presents, 2 live Reindeer from Show Me Reindeer and the #KeiraStrong Wish Day team holding a banner that said “Welcome to your wish day”. The family and wish day team hosted a snowball fight in the snow, opened presents together as a family, ate freshly baked Christmas cookies and listened to Christmas carolers who sang “Silent Night” outside their house. In addition, Grant’s original wish day included transforming each of the boy’s bedrooms into a theme of their choice. Led by a local interior designer and fellow cancer mom, the big reveal was set to take place in late November. Sadly, since Grant’s passing on November 8th, his original wish day will not take place but it is our greatest hope that we can still provide the brothers with the second part of the wish day in his honor.
A Wish for Julia
Julia Stone is a 7-year-old girl from Rosebud, MO. with a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing's Sarcoma and has recently relapsed with the disease now spreading to her lungs. #KeiraStrong Forever along with local businesses in STL and community members decided to put a smile on the face of this brave girl encouraging her to continue to fight for her life by granting her one of their Wish Days. The flash mob recreated a music video from Julia's favorite song "It’s Going Down" from the Descendants 2 movie. During the middle of the second song, Keira’s mom, Robin Stout, and her sister, Lily Stout, delivered Julia’s ultimate wish of a puppy that looked just like “Everest” from the kid’s television show, Paw Patrol. She was given a toy Alaskan Klee Kai puppy and lovingly named her, Winter.
A Wish for Sydney
Sydney was greeted by Belle at the Pacific Opera house and told by Robin that today was her wish day. Sydney and her sisters had their makeup and nails done by the princess and then specially made dresses from Mrs. United States, Lauren Ziegler to wear. As they were enjoying some ice cream, they were surprised by a white stretch limousine with Lamborghini-style doors from JED limousine that was decorated inside just for Sydney. The limo took them to Once Upon a Time ranch where they were greeted by all of the princesses from Dream Time Princess events. Sydney was led over a magical white bridge and into a gazebo to the song “Warrior” by Hannah Kerr playing loudly over the sound system. She took pictures with all the princesses and they took turns telling her how brave she was. Sydney was crowned and sashed by Mrs. United states and given the title “Lil Warrior”. The real surprise was waiting around the corner of a large field for Sydney. Walking through a sea of flower petals, Sydney turned the corner to see a real live unicorn waiting for her.
