Two years ago, in February, Sophie was in the middle of second grade when her parents began noticing something wasn’t right. She had just turned 8 two months earlier, and the energy she was known for suddenly wasn’t there. After school, she would come home and fall asleep for hours—something that was completely out of character. Her skin looked pale, and the area under her eyelids was white. Concerned, her family began researching and feared it could be related to her liver.

They took Sophie to the clinic, and the staff there shared the same concern based on the signs they were seeing. They told the family to go straight to a children’s hospital. After sitting for hours, Sophie was finally seen and given several tests. When the results came back, the doctors sat her parents down and explained that something in her blood could possibly be cancer—or something else—and they wanted to transfer her to another children’s hospital with a specialized cancer unit.

At the next hospital, the family heard the words that changed everything: Sophie had cancer. It was devastating. Like so many families, they couldn’t understand how something so painful could happen to someone so innocent.

Just two days later, Sophie had a port placed. At first, things seemed to be going okay—but then she started getting sick frequently. Tests showed there was an issue with her port, and doctors said it needed to be replaced. From that point on, Sophie found herself in and out of the hospital again and again.

Then, before their Make-A-Wish trip, something terrifying happened. Sophie began having severe stomach pain and wouldn’t stop vomiting. Her family rushed her to the clinic, where tests were done. They were nearly sent home, believing the issue had been resolved—until Sophie vomited again, this time with blood. She was admitted to the hospital, and doctors discovered that the chemotherapy she was receiving had begun damaging her pancreas.

While Sophie was in her room, alarms suddenly started blaring. Nurses rushed in—Sophie couldn’t breathe. She was sent to the ICU, and her family faced one of the scariest moments of their lives. Sophie was connected to multiple machines and had a breathing tube, a catheter, and a feeding tube. It was critical, and at one point, they feared she could slip into a coma.

After a full month in the hospital, Sophie was finally able to go home, but she still needed the feeding tube and could only take formula because she couldn’t eat. Today, Sophie is doing better. She still can’t eat solid foods, but she continues to improve—and she is still in treatment.

What makes Sophie mighty

Sophie is incredibly strong, especially when it comes to the scariest moments—like port access and spinal taps. Even though she gets intense anxiety, she shows up with courage every time. She’s so brave, and she keeps fighting.

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