Today we’d like to introduce you to Bree Rowand.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Bree. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
It all began on December 26th, 2013. This was the last day that I would ever live like a “regular” mom before being thrown into the world of pediatric cancer and becoming that “cancer” mom. Two days prior, my 19-month-old daughter, Kylie started experiencing what I know now as the worst pain of her life as deadly cancer ragged through her body. Bruising around her eye, crying uncontrollably, not eating, and what looked like an allergic reaction to her swollen cheek, Christmas was over and we were finally able to take her into urgent care. They sent us straight to the E.R. where we received the news that our perfect, vivacious, baby girl was covered in cancer. She lived her short 13 month battle in the pediatric intensive care unit, in NYC, in the best neuroblastoma center in the US. Her sweet voice, laughter, innocence, and fight caught the attention and hearts of hundreds of thousands of people across the globe.
After her passing, I knew more needed to be done. God had brought all these people into our lives. Hundreds of thousands of people were now more aware of what childhood cancer REALLY was. All these people now invested in helping find a cure for other children just like Kylie, the little girl who stole their hearts. Our platform was there, a legacy that Kylie had created, we just needed to make it official. Two months after Kylie flew home to Heaven, The Kylie Rowand Foundation was born. To date, we’ve donated $250,000 to pediatric cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, granted over $100,000 to families in financial crisis, and have brought hundreds of smiles to children and families affected by pediatric cancer. None of this would have ever been possible without the support from followers from around the world and our amazing local donors and businesses that so passionately believe in our mission.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have definitely had my share of struggles. One of the hardest things, especially in the beginning, was just handling my own grief while trying to support other children in the same position we were once in. Going to the hospitals, no more chemo parties, those types of things were sometimes too much to bear, but I knew it was what Kylie would have wanted me to do. It wasn’t necessarily being there, but the drive home after. It always made me miss her that much more and question why she couldn’t be here like everyone else. I would have given everything just to be in that hospital room with her one more time. One more fight. Also, as every non-profit experience, gaining new supporters and donors is always tough. There are so many amazing causes to give to, so finding that donor that shares a passion for childhood cancer and believing in our mission can become a bit of a struggle. Other than that, we have been so blessed by our longtime supporters and what I like to call, our little flickers of HOPE.
Please tell us about The Kylie Rowand Foundation.
We, at the Kylie Rowand Foundation, fight for kids with cancer! We fight for better less toxic treatments for our children. We fight for the government to give our kids more than 3.8% of the national budget for cancer research. We fight to educate others about the facts of childhood cancer. We raise money for neuroblastoma research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Because of our generous donors, we’ve been able to donate $250,000 thus far. We raise money to help families affected by pediatric cancer that are struggling to put food on their tables. But my favorite part about what we do is bringing life, laughter, and hope to the children, siblings, and parents that’s world have been flipped upside down. Through our Love Like Kylie program, we host events/field trips for our families, send personalized care packages, sponsor families at Christmas, and for those children whos diagnosis turns terminal, helping them check things off their bucket list. There is no better feeling than to see your kids and families making memories and enjoying the time they have outside of the hospital or even on this earthside.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2710 Alpine Blvd PMB 128, Alpine, CA 91901
- Website: www.kyliestrong.org
- Phone: 844-511-kyky
- Email: info@kyliestrong.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylierowandfoundation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheKylieRowandFoundation/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/prayersforkylie/
Image Credit:
Analisa Joy Photography, Stephani Dennis Photography
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