Ashlynn's story

Dear friend,

My name is Kim Pierson. My daughter Ashlynn is full of life. She loves to be in front of the camera and if you meet her, her big smile will probably convince you to join in one of her spontaneous dance parties! 

On most days, you wouldn’t be able to tell that Ashlynn has cancer, were it not for the long, wavy brown hair she lost when she began cancer treatment. Ashlynn was diagnosed in June of 2018 with Wilms’ tumor, a form of kidney cancer, and is being treated at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

Ashlynn is 6 years old and has spent much of the last year and a half at Children’s Hospital. We have come to know and love our doctors, nurses and staff who care for my daughter as our second family. These remarkable people have become Ashlynn’s best friends and have been invaluable partners in her healing.

After several rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, Ashlynn is well on her way to becoming cancer free.

This Thanksgiving, Ashlynn will undergo a stem cell transplant that will hopefully eradicate any trace of cancer left in her body. It will be a long and isolated recovery. I am sad that we won’t be home for most of the holidays with my other children, but grateful for our Children’s Hospital family who, every day, give us something extraordinary to celebrate.

If the stem cell transplant goes well and Ashlynn responds favorably to the treatment, doctors say we might make it home by Christmas Eve!

When I became a mother, I never imagined that this would be my story to share. But I am grateful Ashlynn’s story is one of hope and promise this holiday season, thanks to the extraordinary caregivers at Children’s Hospital and friends in our community like you.

Please accept my family’s heartfelt thank you. I am grateful that you have chosen to remember families like mine, and I hope your season is filled with the brightest light and love.

With all my best wishes,

Kim Pierson

Ashlynn’s Mother