THE HUDDLE

Welcome to the 2024 Winter edition of our newsletter, “The Huddle”, which we hope will be

a helpful source of news and information for our teammates, donors, volunteers, and friends.

To keep everyone in on the game plan, we encourage you to sign up on our website to

continue to receive this newsletter quarterly.

MEET KAYLEE!

This remarkable young lady is 10 years old. Kaylee battled Osteosarcoma.

Kaylee’s diagnosis came about as a result of persistent leg pain she was experiencing. This pain was initially thought to be a muscle injury due to her active lifestyle. However, as the pain began to get worse doctor’s thought it best to have Kaylee undergo an MRI. Before the test results came back, Kaylee fell at home and broke her femur. She was rushed to the hospital where they suspected it was more than a broken bone. Within days a biopsy was performed, which led to her official diagnosis of Osteosarcoma on 6/19/2023.

Kaylee began receiving treatment right away. On 9/12/2023 she underwent Rotationplasty surgery to remove her tumor. During surgery Kaylee’s knee was replaced with the ankle as a joint, allowing her to walk and participate in sports. This surgery is commonly referred to as “functional amputation.” Post surgery, Kaylee endured 17 additional weeks of chemotherapy. We are happy to report that after a hard fought battle and learning how to walk again with a prosthetic, Kaylee was able to ring the bell on 2/2/2024. This past November, Kaylee had her nine month scans and the results showed that there is No Evidence of Disease!

MEET ARTHUR!

This resilient little boy is five years old. Arthur is battling Medulloblastoma.

Arthur’s cancer story began in the spring of 2024. He started experiencing symptoms of vomiting in the mornings, which led to numerous doctor’s visits with specialists and multiple tests being run. Unfortunately, the tests were inconclusive and they were not able to find the cause. On June 10, 2024 Arthur was rushed to the ER after completely losing his appetite as well as his energy and overall not acting like himself. He had a CT scan performed that revealed Arthur had a large tumor in the back of his head. He immediately underwent surgery. In the days following, it was discovered that the tumor was Medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer which had spread to Arthur’s spine.

Arthur began treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and started chemotherapy back in early October. His family shared, “He’s been an absolute champion during all of this! Despite his world being turned upside down, Arthur has been the strongest little boy and isn’t letting anything bring him down. He is continuing to be his happy, silly self.”

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

We are always eager to welcome the Southwest Tennessee Community College Women's Soccer Team into the Cancer Kickers Office. Not only are they a fun group that clearly connects both on and off the field, but a creative bunch too! They put their talents to use and made dozens of "comfort cards" for our teammates and we know they will brighten their days when they arrive in the mail. Comfort cards are a great way to send messages of hope and encouragement to our teammates all over the world. If you are part of a local group that might like to come to the Cancer Kickers headquarters and create handmade cards for the kids we serve, please reach out to us to coordinate.

NOTABLE AND NEWSWORTHY

In late October, the Cancer Kickers Soccer Club opened its doors to friends and neighbors with an open house. We welcomed many new people to our new space, added lots of names to our volunteer list, and spread the CKSC mission even further. All in all, it was a good day for our staff and founders and we were happy to gain some new Cancer Kickers fans to help cheer along our brave teammates.

NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDERS

As we enter the holiday season and wrap up another year, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every volunteer, teammate, board member, donor, and fan. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to serve our teammates during their journeys with cancer and we feel privileged to walk alongside them to provide comfort, community and connections. May each of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with comfort, joy, hope and blessings.