Stories of Help and Hope

A father’s story: Embracing Support When Things Got Tough

Celeste is 3 and 1/2-years-old and in the maintenance phase of treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia that was diagnosed in October 2022. Her father Rafael shares how he and his wife Gwen coped through Friends of Karen’s support. “Everything was going well for us. We were expecting a new baby and we decided to send Celeste temporarily to my parents’

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A Survivorship Story: Supporting the Transition After Treatment

Friends of Karen began a pilot program in late 2022 to continue to provide a limited number of supports to children who have gone off formal treatment, but continue to have serious healthcare, social and educational needs. Olivia’s mother Johanna shares more below about how Friends of Karen has helped her family during this crucial stage, after Olivia was treated

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A Mom Story: The gift of more time to care

Logan is a four-year-old boy who was diagnosed in 2022 with Aplastic Anemia, which is characterized by bone marrow failure when the body stops producing enough new blood cells. His mother, Elizabeth, a registered nurse, shares how Friends of Karen helped her, Logan and his twin sister Gianna, his older siblings Jayda and Jeremy, and his father Ismael as they

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A Father’s Story

Manuel is the father of 14-year-old Rashelle, who recently completed treatment for
Rhabdomyosarcoma, a disease in which cancer cells form

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