OKW FAMILIES

Kirsten's Story as told by her Mom:

“My name is Heather. My daughter, Kirsten, was diagnosed March 6, 2022 with b-cell ALL. She was shocked by this news after starting her new high school on Feb 2 and moving to a new place on Jan 8. Knowing no one locally has forced our family to rely more and more on each other to start this long journey. We are used to being the new kids in town as Kirsten’s step-dad, Cory, is in the military. Although we find our way usually, this definitely through us all for a loop. We’ve spent 4 yrs in Kings Bay, GA then 3 yrs in Washington DC before our move to Norfolk, VA area. Before we met Cory, Kirsten, her brother and I live in Gainesville, FL. We spent 2012-2014 on our own due to a physically, emotionally and mentally abusive relationship with her bio-dad. After finally fleeing ourselves from him after 11 years together (Kirsten being almost 7) we chose to live our lives to the fullest. Trips, experiences, communicating in healthy ways and helping others. Kirsten still lives like this. She was more worried about how her brothers would handle the news or how they would feel with her being admitted to the hospital for up to a month. She never wants to be seen as weak or needy because she’s so used to being helpful. This experience has truly humbled us all and shown us how precious life can be.”

others we have helped - like hesper Rose's Story

About Hesper Rose

Hesper Rose Robinson’s story as told by her Mom:

“Hesper Rose Robinson is 6 years old. She has an older brother (Junior 10) and an older sister (Lillianna 12). She loves her Mommy and Daddy. She also loves her two Bichons. Hesper has always been full of energy. When she started to not feel well we all knew something was going on. After a few doctor visits we heard the news no family should have to hear, ‘I’m sorry, we think your daughter has cancer’. Your world stops, it’s a silence you’ve never felt before. We were admitted to the hospital and Hesper Rose’s journey began. One day at a time. Her brother and sister were so understanding, the care and maturity they showed was unmeasurable. Hesper’s Daddy is a Senior Chief in the Navy and his ship was beyond accommodating and understanding. Between checking in on Hesper’s brother and sister, to going back and forth from home to the hospital, all the while still going to work shows Daddy’s love for his family. Mommy stayed with Hesper in the hospital. When we got to go home after hearing Hesper had reached remission, our family was whole again. Reality sunk in when we all started seeing the effects of treatment. A lot of tears and a lot of pain. But through it all we stayed strong, Hesper stayed strong. We find we are able to get through the hardest days with hugs. We are fighting this as a family and Hesper has the strongest army fighting with her. She shows us all what true strength is. She is our Warrior Princess. She’s Hesper Rose!”

About Hesper Rose

Here is an update on Hesper Rose:

Mom's comments after receiving gifts: “We received our gifts, my kids were smiles from ear to ear. I shed tears of joy. The pure joy this brought my family is more than words can express.”

An update from the Robinson Clan received just recently: "Good afternoon. Its so nice to here from you. We are doing well. Hesper Rose is doing everything her little body needs to do. She's so strong. Everyday we wake up and I look at her with such admiration. I don't think she realizes how strong she is. She is now in her maintenance phase of treatment, and will continue this for the next 2 years. I've attached a couple of pictures. We really appreciate the follow-up, its heartwarming knowing all the people who wish Hesper Rose well. " Sincerely The Robinson Clan

RICKY’S STORY AS TOLD BY HIS MOM, MEGHAN “Ricky was a happy, healthy 2 year old. He was never sick, never. The only time he was seen by a doctor was for his well visits, he never had a fever or was put on medicine. That all changed December of 2019. We were visiting family for Christmas and Ricky got his first fever. We took him to the local urgent care and they said he had a ear infection and put him on his first ever antibiotics. After we came home he had another fever the first few weeks of January. Took him to be seen and they said he had a virus. He continued to run random fevers over the next 2 months. He was seen countless times by many different doctors and all said he had a virus. I felt like I was losing my mind, how could a very healthy toddler become so sickly basically overnight. In February my daughter got sick and she was diagnosed with strep throat and was given a antibiotic. The pills she was given were too big for her to swallow so the morning of February 20th 2020 I called to see if they could call her in different meds that she could take, but they told me she had to be re-seen.

We were supposed to be getting snow that evening and Ricky wasn’t feeling well again so I told him that if we took sissy to the doctor we would be back just in time for the snow. Little did I know that once we left the house, we wouldn’t be back for 26 days. My daughter was seen in the ER by a nurse practitioner and as he was examining my daughter he asked me “what is wrong with your son.” I said nothing, he’s just been sick a lot. He said that he was very pale. I said well he’s a red head so he’s always pale. He said I’m sorry but he don’t look right to me and he would like to run some labs on him. I said that he could because I’ve been trying to figure out what is wrong with him for months and everyone kept treating me like I was a crazy Mom. It didn’t take them long to tell me, “Ma’am your son is very sick and we need to have him admitted to run more tests.” At this point, nobody said cancer yet but when I seen people come in and out of the room with “pediatric oncology” written on their coats I knew this was very serious. They moved him upstairs and started him on antibiotics and gave him a blood transfusion. The next morning a doctor came by and confirmed that Ricky had “leukemic cells” in his lab work and as of right now they weren’t 100% sure on what type and they need to run more tests. He said he needed to sedate him and do a spinal tap and get a sample of his bone marrow. I can’t even begin to describe how I felt at that moment, but terrified would probably come close.

Ricky was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia B-Cell All. Over the next 26 days Ricky was given 5 blood transfusions and 4 platelet infusions. He was given many chemotherapy treatments, spinal taps and his port placement surgery. Ricky had a terrible time with his hospitalization, he cried all the time and he begged me to take him home. One of his chemos gave him extreme neuropathy pain and he lost his ability to walk. The walking was very hard on me, watching your child struggle so hard learning how to walk again was so hard.

Ricky never lost his spirit and his determination to get better. In June and July of 2020, he lost ability to walk again. And in the end of July he was put back in the hospital for a sepsis infection. He was hospitalized in January and June of 2021 for neurogenic fever. Ricky is currently in his maintenance treatment at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Virginia. Ricky is in such a better place emotionally because of the amazing nurses, Dawn and Shandra and the Child Life Specialist Chris who has worked really hard making Ricky’s experience the best that it can be in such a horrible situation.”

THE GIFTS FROM OKW ARRIVE! Wow! Ricky is convinced that Santa came today. He was opening up everything screaming, "this is so awesome" lol. He went right for the legos and got that put together. He loves the nightlight and keeps changing out the dinosaur and the colors.

He had to facetime his grandma to show her the light because she thought it was so cool.. And we have the remote control dinosaur charging, but he will be able to play with that soon.

Sierra love the drawing book and she was learning to draw a bear and a ballerina. She's never used some of those things, like the charcoal pencils, so she's been trying out all the new things. She loved the bath stuff. She wants to use the bath bomb tonight to see what's inside. And of course, they both loved all the yummy treats.

Ricky has eaten 2 kinder joys and Sierra has gotten into the snickers lol. Andrew and I thank you for the gift card! That was completely unexpected and very generous. I will attach some pictures🙂

Derrick's story

June 14, 2021

Shana Kay Ragland (mother)

Son: Derrick Ragland, Jr. (D.J.)

Diagnosis: Pre B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (A.L.L.)

My husband and I recall when D.J., at just 4 months old, was admitted to the hospital after having a 102 fever. He was discharged one week later when the medical team was able to bring his fever down for 48 hours. For the months to follow, it was common for D.J. to always have a runny nose or complain about body aches. The story was always the same after doctor’s visits “He’s in daycare, it’s just his immune system building”, but we knew something wasn’t right.

On March 28, 2019, our then two-year-old (D.J.) was diagnosed with Pre B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. We didn’t know what this would mean for DJ and our family. We were scared and relieved. Scared because our son who loves to love, read books, play with toys, be jovial, and was an all-around positive light to be around, was diagnosed with something as “terminal” as cancer. Nevertheless, we considered it a blessing to finally have a definitive answer to what he was enduring. After many conversations and educating ourselves, my husband and I, decided to focus on D.J. To be honest, D.J. kind of made it easy. It wasn’t uncommon to hear visiting family and friends ask us “Is he really suffering from leukemia? He is just so… happy.” But, we could see his struggle. We could see the way he labored after chasing the ball with his cousins or how he would take time to just sit down with his grandma as he regained his strength. D.J. taught us a most valuable lesson during his fight with cancer: To let him be a kid. Yes, we would worry and we were seriously aware. However, our goal became to amplify the natural energy that he radiated and encourage positive energy around him.

I was introduced to Operation: Key West, by Chris (Child Development Specialist, Naval Medical Portsmouth). He explained how this organization truly cared about the patients and their families. This was proven true in the days to follow. I was surprised at how fast Kathy reached out to my family. I was appreciative of her time. Not long after, we received gifts in the mail. Each gift was personalized for each member of our family. D.J. and his brother, Zayvian was so excited and very thankful. I appreciated the smile on my children’s faces as they opened the gifts and so much more as my husband was deployed and the boys and I were having a rough week. It all came together.

Thank you, Operation: Key West.

The Ragland Family

TAYLOR's story

My name is Taylor Roberts, I am a 20 year old pediatric oncology patient, trying to get through life while receiving treatment for various forms of cancer. I've had 3 diagnosis's over the years, first one being Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (A.L.L.) in 2014, I was 13 then and my 8th year diagnosis anniversary was just last month, February 2021. My next diagnosis was Myelodysplastic Syndrome (M.D.S.) in 2018. Now my current diagnosis is Acute Myeloid Leukemia (A.M.L.). Initial diagnosis at age 13 ultimately meant I never had much of my own childhood it was always about getting my treatments and staying healthy. It also meant after my first diagnosis I was never able to experience traditional schooling, rather I was homeschooled and went to online high school from which I graduated in 2016. Two years later in 2018 I had my first bone marrow transplant at Duke University. Now in 2021, I'm getting ready for a 2nd transplant from Johns Hopkins which will hopefully happen this month or next month, February-March.

Through all of the experiences detailed above, Taylor has done his best to remain positive. He has never asked for anything but for his treatments to be successful. Through our relationship with Chris Brogan, a Child Life Specialist, Pediatric Ward, Portsmouth Naval Hospital, we have been able to get Taylor to supply us with a short list of things that would help him as he continues his fight. We are using the money we raised through our Operation: Key West to fill out Taylor's wish list.

1. A gaming laptop. I would really love to have this since I have to essentially stay home when I'm not in the hospital and gaming is one of my hobbies.
2. Noise canceling headphones. Being in a hospital for any amount of time isn't fun and it can get noisy a lot.
3. New phone case. I drop my phone a lot and my case shows it.
4. Gift cards to various places like Door Dash for food delivery in the hospital, the Navy Exchange, Khols or Walmart for clothes, and Wawa for gas.

UPDATE ON TAYLOR

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

03.04.2021

Story by Seaman Imani Daniels

Naval Medical Center - Portsmouth

A patient of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) Pediatric Oncology Department received a gift from Operation Key West, March 4.

Operation Key West is a program that aides in helping military families and small businesses. Their sole purpose is to improve the quality of life for wounded heroes and their families.

Taylor Roberts, a 20 year old patient who has been diagnosed with various forms of cancer, has been a patient of NMCP for a good portion of his life.

“He was diagnosed with leukemia back in 2014,” said Jimmy Roberts, Taylor’s dad. “This medical center has been a big part of his treatment. We have been a part of the Portsmouth family for a long time.”

Through the relationship with Chris Brogan, NMCP’s Child Life Specialist, Operation Key West was able to coordinate with Brogan to get a short list of things that would help Taylor as he continues his fight against cancer. At the top of the list was a gaming laptop.

“He loves gaming, it is his favorite hobby,” Roberts said. “It’s a really big gift for him.”

Through all of his experiences, Taylor has done his best to remain positive and is extremely excited about his new gaming laptop.

“That laptop is so much more than a computer,” Brogan said. “It is an opportunity to share joy, to shine a light through some of the dark difficulties of life, to be human, to love one another. It has truly touched Taylor and those of us who care for him.”

As the U.S. Navy's oldest, continuously-operating military hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally-acclaimed, state-of-the-art medical center, along with the area's 10 branch health and TRICARE Prime Clinics, provide care for the Hampton Roads area. The medical center also supports premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsman for future roles in healing and wellness.

A suprise brings smiles and laughter

Additional Information

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

07.16.2021

Story by Seaman Imani Daniels

Naval Medical Center - Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (July 16, 2021) A patient of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth's (NMCP) Pediatric Oncology Department surprises his very special friend with a gift with the help of Operation Key West, July 16.

Operation Key West is a program that aides in helping military families and small businesses. Their sole purpose is to improve the quality of life for wounded heroes and their families. Operation Key West was able to coordinate a unique opportunity with Taylor Roberts, a 21 year old patient who has been battling cancer since he was 14 years old, to support him by honoring his request to do something special for his girlfriend.

“We discussed how we could brighten his day and, at the same time, acknowledge her amazing loyalty in very trying times,” said Mr. James McGonigle, founder of Operation Key West. “We came up with the idea of getting diamond stud earrings for Taylor to give to her as a surprise gift.”

Lindsey Gorham, Taylor’s girlfriend, has been a truly incredible steadfast support through a very long and difficult medical season. She has been by Taylor’s side for most of his journey. Lindsey was pleasantly caught off guard by the act of kindness from her boyfriend.

“This is super nice,” Lindsey said. “I’m really happy about it. It is truly nice that he had the opportunity to surprise me.”

Taylor has been diagnosed with various forms of cancer and has been a patient of NMCP for a good portion of his life. Through all of his experiences, Taylor has done his best to remain positive.

“Taylor usually keeps his emotions close to the vest, but I haven’t seen him smile and laugh out loud like he did today in a very long time,” said Chris Brogan, NMCP’s Child Life Specialist.

Operation Key West continues to provide remarkable support to military families.

Jackson's Story as told by his Mom:

"Jackson was a playful and energetic 3 year old until the fall of 2020. That's when we started to notice his energy level decreasing and he was unable to play and keep up with his older brothers. His skin was pale and lips occasionally blue. As parents we were starting to really be concerned when a diagnosis of pneumonia did not clear up after antibiotics. We were struggling to find answers until one night when we took Jackson to the emergency room. The next day after blood transfusions, we got the news. Heart stopping news, but thankful for an answer to what was causing him such discomfort. That was the beginning of our adventure with Jackson's fight with Leukemia.

Our family was there to support us in ways we never asked for before. Being a military family and living clear across the United States, we now needed them more than ever. Out next few weeks would be spent in the hospital focused on Jackson but we still had two other boys at home who were also processing this news and needing their parents. Grandma helped out with the boys while mom and dad drove back and forth to keep some normalcy at the home front. Once we were able to bring our warrior home from the hospital things started to fall into place. Our family was again under one roof and we had a new perspective on life. We came together and decided that Jackson was not in this fight alone and we would all be there every step of the way. Day to day life changed a bit due to constant doctor's appointments and frequent medications but we tried out best to toggle everything. Some months were much harder than others but with support from our parents, family, and friends we made it through. We have one more year left in this journey and things are starting to seem "normal". Appointments are further apart and are down to an hour rather than most of the day. Jackson has his energy back, eating great, and making friends within the neighborhood.

Our lives forever changed October 30th, 2020 but it has brought a bond within our family that has guided us through journey. Cherish everyday as we never know what tomorrow will bring.

Atlas Sanford’s Journey as told by his Mom, Amy Sanford

“We are a Navy Family of 4. In March 2020, we were stationed in Iwakuni, Japan. We noticed Atlas had a fever and small pin-point bruises covering his legs when we were getting him ready for bed. I took Atlas into the clinic the next morning to get checked out. That same day I took him in to be seen, my husband/his dad (Aaron) was leaving for a 30-day detachment to Guam. After initial blood and urine samples, test results were inconclusive but alarming. The base that we were on was too small to get further testing done so Atlas and I had to be transported about 45 minutes away to a city hospital in Hiroshima for further testing. Medical personnel only spoke Japanese, so communication had to be done through a translator. Atlas was admitted to the hospital in Hiroshima before receiving his first platelet/red blood cell transfusions and more blood tests. Initial suspicion was that he had cancer, but we had to stay while diagnosis was confirmed from an outside lab. Aaron, my husband was sent back from Guam, and we spent two days waiting for him to arrive. Travel was delayed due to initial responses to COVID-19. Our daughter stayed with a friend on base until Aaron arrived because siblings were not allowed at the hospital and Atlas couldn’t be alone at the hospital by himself. We spent 4 days in Hiroshima hospital before being medically evacuated to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. After being medically evacuated to Hawaii, the nurses were very sweet and said that Atlas’ activity level was so high, that maybe the testing done in Japan was an error. We were still in shock and denial, and this gave us hope of a false diagnosis. The testing confirmed that Atlas had B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. We were devastated. On top of the diagnosis, we were initially told to pack for 30 days. Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, we ended up being in Hawaii for 6 months. Navy moves were shut down and the earliest Atlas was able to safely travel was August, so were stuck living in a hotel on Pearl Harbor while Atlas spent collectively about 3 and a half months in the hospital. We were in Hawaii from March 5thto August 15th. Most places, including the beaches, were closed so it was a very atypical trip to the dream vacation in Hawaii (We had never been before!). In August, we moved to Norfolk, and Atlas resumed treatment at Navy Medical Center Portsmouth. He has caught and battled COVID-19, which ended up hospitalizing him for nearly 3 weeks in April 2021. He has fought so hard and continues to fight with such grace, even at his young age. He will be finishing up treatment in July and starting Kindergarten in the fall.”

Others WE ARE HELPING NOW...KirSTEN'S STORY

others we have helped - like hesper Rose's Story

About Hesper Rose

About Hesper Rose

About Hesper Rose

About Hesper Rose

About Hesper Rose

RICKY'S STORY

Derrick's story

Derrick's Happy Update

Wonderful News!

TAYLOR's story

UPDATE ON TAYLOR

A suprise brings smiles and laughter

Additional Information

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

07.16.2021

Story by Seaman Imani Daniels

Naval Medical Center - Portsmouth

comments, who else can we help

Please share comments below. If there is a military family you would like us to help please let us know...we will do everything we can to help as many as we can!

Operation: Key West

Jackson's story

Atlas Sanford's story

Who else we're helping now...karlsle-johannes' STORY

Who else we're helping now...The Arnold Family

Others WE ARE HELPING NOW...KirSTEN'S STORY

others we have helped - like hesper Rose's Story

About Hesper Rose

About Hesper Rose

About Hesper Rose

About Hesper Rose

About Hesper Rose

RICKY'S STORY

Derrick's story

Derrick's Happy Update

Wonderful News!

TAYLOR's story

UPDATE ON TAYLOR

A suprise brings smiles and laughter

Additional Information

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

07.16.2021

Story by Seaman Imani Daniels

Naval Medical Center - Portsmouth

comments, who else can we help

Please share comments below. If there is a military family you would like us to help please let us know...we will do everything we can to help as many as we can!

Operation: Key West

Jackson's story

Atlas Sanford's story

Who else we're helping now...karlsle-johannes' STORY

Who else we're helping now...The Arnold Family

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