Bringing a Light into the Tunnel—Isla’s Story
Isla Collord was diagnosed with Glioneuronal neoplasm, a cancerous brain tumor, just after her second birthday. Ross and Danielle, Isla’s mama and papa bears, noticed something was wrong one day when Isla approached them in a dazed and lethargic state. Sensing that something was seriously wrong, they took her immediately to urgent care, where the medical team determined she was having seizures.
“It was scary because we had no idea what was going on at that moment, and it just happened so fast.”
“Whenever all the attention is on you at a medical facility, it’s never a good thing,” Danielle shared. The family was transferred to CHKD for a shunt to be placed in Isla’s brain to stop the seizure activity. “It was scary because we had no idea what was going on at that moment, and it just happened so fast,” Ross shared.
Isla was diagnosed with cancer at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA where she underwent brain surgery and is receiving ongoing treatment to stop the seizures and prevent the growth of the tumor.
When the family was initially treated at CHKD, they received a Roc Solid Ready Bag. “They brought us a Roc Solid backpack full of all sorts of helpful things… a lot of activities and resources… the tablet is there to keep her occupied during some of her chemotherapy appointments and all the toiletries, the blanket and all the things like that are exactly what you need when you’re hanging out at a hospital,” Ross shared.
Soon after their diagnosis, Isla’s child life team shared that Roc Solid had a playset opportunity in their area and recommended that the family apply. A few weeks later, Ross and Danielle received a call from the Roc Solid team saying they would receive a Roc Solid playset. “It was such a wonderful thing in the middle of such a terrible time,” Ross shared.
Isla’s Build Day
It was one of those crisp November mornings when the air was full of possibility for a beautiful day—Isla’s playset build. A local baseball team sponsored Isla’s playset and was ready to brave the chilly morning air to build it.
Soon, almost a dozen eight-year-old boys arrived full of energy and ready to get their hands on some drills. Meanwhile, Isla and her sisters, Addy and Ella, wandered wide-eyed around the yard trying to figure out what all those boys were doing there. “When everyone showed up, it was a little overwhelming,” Isla’s papa bear, Ross shared. “It was really exciting and a little bit of, ‘What do we do?’ because there’s so much organization with it. Heartfelt strangers came to the house that were there for the right reasons and they were there to support us.”
The team built Isla’s playset in no time and with plenty of enthusiasm and energy. When it came time to reveal the playset to Isla and her family, the whole team could barely contain their excitement.
All the volunteers shouted, “three…. two… ONE!” as Isla and her sisters pulled off their blindfolds and saw their playset for the first time. Isla, Ella and Addy all immediately ran to the playset and Isla insisted that her mama bear push her on the swings.
“When we came outside for the playset reveal, the overall feeling was just amazing knowing that it was complete and that we had a place for the girls to go,” Ross shared. “It was overwhelming with emotions of joy and knowing that these girls can actually do something outside.”
Watch Isla’s story below:
We are thrilled to provide safe, germ-free playsets to kiddos just like Isla. Email us at info@rocsolidfoundation.org to learn more about playset sponsorship opportunities in your area.
