9-year-old Kylie is a kind and outgoing young lady who is bravely fighting cancer for the second time in her young life.

At Kylie's 6th birthday party in January 2022, her mom noticed that something was wrong. Her typically bubbly and chatty daughter was tired and lagging behind her friends on their way to the movie theater.

Over the next few weeks, more signs appeared – Kylie complained of hip and leg pain, and she became too sore to walk. Her mom wheeled her into appointment after appointment in a stroller. 

After multiple tests and scans, an official diagnosis finally came... Kylie had stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that forms in the soft tissue. At this stage, the cancer had already spread to Kylie's abdomen, lymph nodes, and the fluid in the lining of her lung.

Kylie started treatment immediately and underwent 30 weeks of VAC chemotherapy along with 7 weeks of radiation. The intense frontline treatment took a major toll on her body, leaving her exhausted, nauseous, and often in pain. She spent over 100 days in hospital during the first phase of treatment.

It was a big relief when she finally hit maintenance chemotherapy and started to regain her strength. During her year of maintenance chemotherapy, Kylie was able to go back to school as well as her favorite activities, which made such a difference mentally and emotionally.

Kylie finished up with all treatment in November 2023, or so they thought, and she was finally able to be a kid again with minimal restrictions. She had appointments every 3 months, and otherwise it felt like life had pretty much returned to normal. She even signed up to ride in the Great Cycle Challenge last year to help other kids fighting cancer!

Sadly, after 14 months off treatment, Kylie relapsed on January 6, 2025.

In a flash, her hard-fought sense of normalcy was ripped away and it was right back into intensive treatment. Kylie is as brave and resilient as they come, but the emotional impact of re-entering this battle has hit hard. She has had to process so much disappointment and fear, and it has taken a visible toll on her spirit at times. 

In her mom’s words, “Her strength is incredible, but the impact of this journey is something we navigate every single day.”

Her family are focused on keeping her comfortable when she’s feeling unwell and creating joyful moments together whenever she has the energy – from little adventures and fun outings to quality time together at home. 

Kylie is currently receiving a treatment protocol known as VIT chemotherapy. She has completed 6 cycles and will continue up to a possible total of 12 cycles depending on how her body continues to respond to the treatment. 

Her parents, Kristen and Sean, are passionate advocates for childhood cancer research. Their experience has shown them that we need better, less toxic options for kids and we need them now. 

“The protocols for rhabdomyosarcoma were developed decades ago and the overall survival rate is unfortunately not great. We need funding for research and development of new protocols that will lead to better long-term outcomes,” Sean told us.

In their words, “Kids like Kylie deserve to grow up. They deserve to go to school, play, and live full healthy lives… Advocating for research brings hope to families and gives kids like Kylie a real chance at the future they deserve.”

GCC’ers, your riding and fundraising efforts mean the world to brave kids like Kylie and their families… THANK YOU!