One Girl’s Pediatric Cancer Journey: Finding Happiness In A Playset
For parents, there is nothing more terrifying than seeing their child suffer and feeling helpless to protect them. This is a reality that Mama Bear, Ashley, and Papa Bear, Kaelin, the parents of 5-year-old Lilah, faced when their daughter was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a form of pediatric liver cancer. Their emotional and physical journey over the past several months has been one of intense struggle, but also moments of hope and resilience.
From normal to uncertain: the day cancer entered her life
Lilah had been suffering from a stomach bug that had been going around their home, affecting the entire family. But when her pain escalated to an unbearable level, her parents rushed her to the emergency room. Doctors found masses on Lilah’s liver and determined that she needed to start chemotherapy before even receiving the biopsy results, since they were sure it was cancerous. From there, Lilah’s family was thrown into the whirlwind of childhood cancer treatment.
Adjusting to life after the diagnosis
Kaelin recalled the feeling of being completely out of control, having told Lilah a million times that he would always protect her from harm. “There’s no way I can protect her,” Kaelin said. “I guess there is no new normal… because it’s not normal. There’s nothing normal about it.”
The family’s life was consumed by constant hospital visits and the unpredictability of Lilah’s condition. “Out of the past six months, we spent three of them in the hospital,” Ashley remembered.
The physical and emotional toll of childhood cancer
Chemotherapy was grueling. Lilah was very sick, and her parents had to learn quickly how to handle the extreme challenges of supporting their daughter through such harsh treatments.
As difficult as things were, the family found glimmers of hope. Mama and Papa Bear recalled one of the first moments of joy—after weeks of being confined to her hospital bed, Lilah finally had the chance to leave her room and play. “It was like one of those things where I felt like she was almost giving up,” Kaelin said, “so I had to tell her… we’re not going to let you lay here and die. You’ve got to get up.” The next day, Lilah was walking again, full of energy and excited to get to the playroom.
Kaelin remembered the difficulty of explaining to Lilah that she would lose her hair due to chemotherapy. “I never could bring myself to tell her,” he admitted. But when Lilah finally learned the truth from her mom, her response surprised him—”Well, now you got to buy me a new hat.” Her ability to handle the situation with such strength and humor was a meaningful reminder of how tough she truly is.
A gift of love and support that gave her hope
Throughout their journey, the family was deeply touched by the unwavering support they received from Roc Solid. “I remember when we opened the Ready Bag we received,” Ashley recalled. “I was just feeling like people care about us, people are here for us, and just felt loved… I remember her daddy setting up the tablet for her and that was a really happy moment.” The Ready Bag contained essential items like a tablet, phone charger, and other comforts that made hospital life a little easier for Lilah and her family. It was more than just a bag of things—it was a reminder that people cared and that they were not alone in this fight.
The support didn’t stop with the Ready Bag. Roc Solid also organized the building of a backyard playset for Lilah, transforming her backyard into a place of joy and healing. Despite the rainy weather, more than 20 heroes from Chartway Promise Foundation showed up to build the playset, and their hard work brought a huge smile to Lilah’s face.
“I’m just very thankful,” Kaelin said with a tearful smile, “thankful for everybody from you, to the backpack, to the playset, the cameraman, and everybody. You guys are really awesome. It’s a blessing honestly. This type of stuff is angel’s work.”
“Even if Lilah gets 10 minutes of happiness out of something, it’s a really big deal to us.”
Lilah finished treatment and got to ring the bell a little over two months ago. She is now a healthy 6 year old who loves coloring and playing with Barbies.
Watch Lilah’s full story on YouTube here.
Become a part of the story for a family like Lilah’s by becoming a recurring donor here. Help us say “yes!” to building playsets and providing Ready Bags for more families.
If your team wants to sponsor and build a playset or pack Roc Solid Ready Bags for families fighting pediatric cancer, email us at info@rocsolidfoundation.org to get started.
