Often times we don’t realize how much we need our community, until life hands us the unexpected.
Three-year-old Kate’s dance lessons at Bloom were put on an abrupt hold when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Wilms Tumor Kidney Cancer back in April of 2018.
Kate (center front) and her family
She immediately had surgery to remove the tumor and her kidney. After the surgery, her surgeon was extremely confident they got all of the tumor, and eight days later Kate danced in Bloom’s 2018 dance recital.
“It brought a moment of normality back to Kate’s life that had been stolen,” said Kelly, Kate’s mom.
The average cost of treating a case of childhood cancer now stands at $500,000, with parents paying an average out-of-pocket bill of $35,000. It can be a lot to take on as a family while also dealing with the emotional trauma of the diagnosis.
Many families from Bloom reached out and wanted to do something for Kate.
“Anytime you are in community with people, and you watch a family within the community go through difficult seasons you want to do something to help,” Erin Jensen, owner of Bloom Dance Studio said. “But it can be hard to know how to do that well.”
The Bloom family decided on a collective fundraiser, giving all the profits of the recital t-shirt sales to Kate. The money raised from the t-shirt sales helped cover a portion of their insurance deductible.
“We were completely blown away and speechless,” Kelly said. “To know there is a community behind us that cared and were aware of our difficulties.”
Even though they were surrounded by a caring community, it was a difficult journey to walk through. Kate spent six months receiving chemotherapy treatments, and finished her last treatment six days after she turned four-years-old.
During the chemo treatments, Kelly became concerned about neuropathy. Neuropathy, or nerve damage, is the side effects of chemotherapy like numbness, droopy eye, tripping, and loss of fine motor skills. Kate struggled to walk without falling down.
To help with this, she started physical therapy, along with a strategy to detox with a change in diet and supplements.
Kate is 5 years old now and started back at Bloom this last August to pick up where physical therapy left off. She is in beginning ballet and tap with Miss Alyssa!
Kate - 5 years old
Kate’s been off chemo for one year and is doing very well. The family has stuck to their diet changes, continue to detox Kate, and are seeking out other doctors and specialists to help keep her in remission and thriving. Her one year scans/checkup will be at the end of November.