Nora’s Journey With Cancer: The Spirit of a Fighter
Like most 4-year-old girls, Nora was full of life — happy, energetic and always on the go. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until her parents noticed a deep bruise on her shoulder blade. They didn’t think much of it at first, but then more bruises began to appear in places where they shouldn’t. Nora also started feeling unusually tired, which wasn’t typical for this spunky girl. Her parents chalked it up to being “Disney tired” from a recent magical family trip. But when Nora spiked a fever that wouldn’t go away, they followed a friend’s advice and took her to the hospital.
Within hours, their world changed. Nora was diagnosed with high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and began immediate and aggressive treatment.
Life for Nora and her family shifted overnight. Her parents found themselves dividing and conquering hospital stays and treatments, while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for her two brothers, Cohen and Crew. They traveled for months between hospitals, navigating the grueling side effects of chemotherapy and riding an emotional rollercoaster. But Nora was responding well to her treatments. She reached the second phase of maintenance, and her family started to feel hopeful again. They began to envision life beyond cancer.
Then came the routine lumbar puncture. And with it, heartbreaking news: the cancer was back. Nora faced a second battle with cancer before even starting kindergarten.
Throughout her journey, Nora has faced each day with extraordinary strength, and a smile that lights up every room. She’s full of joy, humor and heart. She loves playing video games with her brothers, doing art projects and spending time with her dogs, Mick and Mabel. She already knows what she wants to be when she grows up: a dog walker!
Her fighting spirit is summed up in the motto she took from a line in a favorite song: “Fight on, Fighter.” Now printed on t-shirts, her motto is proudly spread by her family, her community and supporters.
“She is a social butterfly,” says her mom, Abby. “She loves meeting other kids. On the way to every clinic visit, she always says she hopes there’s a friend there getting medicine too so they can play together in the playroom.”
Because of the nature of her relapse, Nora qualified for CAR T-cell therapy, a groundbreaking form of immunotherapy. It’s an advanced treatment made possible by years of research, including early studies funded by Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research. Through CAR T-cell therapy, Nora’s body is now free of the B-cells that caused her cancer. It’s a hopeful step forward in her journey and a powerful example of what childhood cancer research can do.
Nora is one of thousands of children courageously battling cancer — 47 are diagnosed every day in America — and each one deserves the chance to grow up, chase dreams and live their lives free from harmful, lasting side effects. But childhood cancer research continues to be severely underfunded. When you support Rally Foundation, you’re investing in hope. You’re helping fund the treatments of tomorrow, reducing harmful side effects and bringing us closer to cures.
Of every dollar you donate, 93¢ goes directly to fund childhood cancer research. Your support truly makes a difference for Nora, and for so many others just like her.
Together, we can fight until no child ever has to hear the words, “You have cancer.”