Elayna was diagnosed in April of 2014 (at 5 years old) with stage 3 kidney cancer. We watched our sweet girl's life change in an instant. She had major surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, and when treatment ended we celebrated remission, but ten months later we were told that she had relapsed. It was the new worst day of our lives. We knew that her treatment would be harder and longer, and that our chances of beating it weren't as great. She had to fight even harder the second time, completing extremely toxic treatment, and again celebrated brief remission. Sadly, we learned in fall of 2016 that she had relapsed again and her fight was far from over. She continued to fight for her life until she passed away at the age of 9, on August 22nd, 2018. We miss her so much. 

Watching her fight the third time was excruciating because there was no longer a clear treatment path, and that was directly due to lack of funding for pediatric cancer research. Elayna believed that we need more research and treatment options, and that is why she spent countless hours Fluttering homes by our side. It’s too late to save her, but it’s not too late for so many others. Our young warriors deserve better.

You would think that Elayna would've felt sorry for herself. What she did instead is enjoyed every minute of her life. She inspired so many people. While other children were wishing for toys, she was wishing for a cure for all children with cancer. So am I.

I believe that Unravel can help us cure childhood cancer, and that is why I spend the month of September Fluttering. Please consider donating in honor of children who continue to fight, and in memory of children like Elayna, who are so very missed.

– Elayna’s Mommy

Elayna's story

Written by Lucy Sandeen

(Elayna's Mommy)