2022-September-27
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No Child Should Fight Cancer Alone
BY ALEXIS STADLER · PORTFOLIO ACTIVATION SPECIALIST · UNITED STATES
WITH HELEN GALL
4 MINUTE READ · 7 MINUTE LISTEN
My husband Derek and I both work for Cisco. He’s a Partner Customer Success Specialist and has been with Cisco for six years. I joined Cisco in October of 2021 and work as a Portfolio Activation Specialist.
From the day our second daughter Kinsley Rae was born on March 31, 2019, she has been a fighter.
She has two rare genetic disorders: Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Hypophosphatasia, as well as a myriad of other medical complexities.
In December of 2021, I noticed the shape of Kinsley’s head was changing.
Her pediatrician referred us to a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon was very dismissive, saying he’d seen her MRI and there was nothing to be concerned about.
I was not convinced. As someone who does not take no for an answer, I asked for a second opinion.
The second neurosurgeon said it was unlikely something was going on. But Kinsley’s endocrinologist was able to order a new MRI, and she would review it.
It was March 2022 and an MRI wasn’t available until May 19. As we pulled out of the parking lot after Kinsley’s MRI, we received a call saying the oncologist needed to see her immediately.
The imaging showed a tumor in her brain stem and cerebellum.
Thankfully, Kinsley was covered by Cisco’s health benefits, and we were able to get opinions from three doctors in different states at major medical centers.
The tumor was biopsied on June 2. On June 15, we received the news that Kinsley had brain cancer. She began a 70-week course of chemotherapy, which she receives every week to try and stop the tumor’s growth. It’s imaged every two to three months.
If the tumor grows, she will need debulking surgery to try to remove it, but due to its location, the majority of it is inoperable.
Making lemonade out of sour lemons
When Kinsley started treatment, we were greeted with an outpouring of love and support not only from the community where we live but from our Cisco community and organizations helping children fight childhood cancer.
But we’ve noticed some gaps that we thought needed to be filled, such as the need for specific support for young siblings of those fighting cancer, as well as groups for male-identifying caregivers, as many groups are geared towards moms.
We also wanted to do something to honor Kinsley and her uniqueness.
So we decided to start Kinsley’s Rae of Sunshine Foundation, a nonprofit aiming to support the entire family — because no child fights alone.
Once we are officially up and running, we will begin to bridge the gaps we saw by providing support groups, outings, and general support for families experiencing childhood cancer.
We’ll also apply for our foundation to be added to Bright Funds. That way donations made by our Cisco family can be matched by the Cisco Foundation to make an even bigger difference to families like ours.
In the meantime, we have started two projects: A Band-Aid Drive and Crocs for Chemo.
When Kinsley started treatment, she would ask when she was getting her band-aid.
We realized the band-aid signified that she was done at the clinic for the day and got to go home. We realized this was probably similar for other children, so we set a goal to collect 100 boxes of latex-free band-aids for the clinic in fun prints that the kids would love. We wanted to make getting their band-aid even more special.
Kinsley also loves accessories and is obsessed with Crocs. She has Crocs for every occasion and has specific Crocs she insists on wearing to chemo each week.
Children who begin chemotherapy at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina will be able to request a pair of crocs in their favorite color. Every time they go for treatment, they can choose a charm for their Crocs.
Cisco benefits
The day the tumor was found, we both contacted our leaders and were immediately met with compassion and understanding. We both used the critical time off benefit while Kinsley was being diagnosed so both of us could be at all her appointments.
Kinsley has had to be inpatient at the hospital quite a bit, and she’s having side effects from treatment, so we wanted to be sure that one of us could be with Kinsley throughout the first part of her treatment.
We decided that Derek would return to work and I would take a leave of absence, so I could be her main caregiver at home.
Prior to Kinsley’s diagnosis, we weren’t that aware of how underfunded research for childhood cancer was.
Only four percent of the U.S. federal budget for cancer research is allocated to researching childhood cancers. So it is important to spread awareness for childhood cancer specific research all year, not just in September.
Despite all she has been through, Kinsley is always smiling and really is a ray of light for so many.
For more information on our campaigns you can visit our Kindness for Kinsley Facebook page .
Employee Resources
Related Links
- Band-Aid Drive Wish List
- Crocs for Chemo Wish List
- Our Impact - CSR & Time2Give
- Cisco Purpose Report 2021
- Careers at Cisco
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