Warner was born the sweetest and most gentle baby. He was strong and healthy.

His parents had no idea that Warner was already battling cancer. 

A few weeks after his birth Warner’s parents, Annie and Rane, began noticing signs that something wasn't right.

A trip to the pediatrician raised some concerns, and Warner was immediately sent to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Warner had neuroblastoma, a type of solid cell tumor that affects children, mostly under 5 years old. Warner was only a few weeks old. 

Warner was hospitalized. His family stayed with him in the hospital as he underwent several treatments and surgeries in the NICU, but the cancer was extremely aggressive. Warner passed away at just 2 months old. 

After Warner’s passing, his parents found themselves in a community full of love and support from other families. That’s when they discovered Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) and its annual Halloween Lemon Run, which raises money for childhood cancer research.

Rane and Annie found themselves drawn to ALSF’s mission. “ALSF spoke to us for many reasons, but the story of Alex and the journey there stood out,” he says. Their family was determined to search for solutions, so no one else had to experience the things they were going through because of childhood cancer. When they came across the Halloween Lemon Run, they knew it was the perfect way to take action.  

In 2021, Annie and Rane set a small goal and used the walk/run as an opportunity to remember their son. They created a team in their hometown of New Orleans, that participated simultaneously with the event in Philadelphia.  They weren’t expecting the support they found from their personal community with this seemingly small act. Friends and family joined them, and they managed to raise more than $1,000 that first year. Now, their team, Walk for Warner, has raised more than $12,000 for childhood cancer research!

“We live our lives to continuously honor him, to carry his memory, and to just live a life that would make him proud of us. The walk/run is a microcosm of that in a lot of ways,” says Rane.

Now, the Halloween Lemon Run has become an annual event for their family that involves hosting a pre-walk breakfast, spending time together, and making a difference for childhood cancer families. “It’s really just an opportunity to bring our community together to walk and raise awareness,” Rane says.

Every day, Rane and Annie are determined to honor the life and memory of their son, Warner. He explains, “what our family has been through is unimaginable. You are forced to deal with the unimaginable when childhood cancer strikes. Unfortunately, the unimaginable happens way too often, and we have to find a way to reduce that and find a cure.” 

For their family, fundraising empowers them to get a little bit closer to a world where no one else has to experience this type of loss. “We have to help and do everything in our power to stop this from happening. Anything we can do from awareness to sharing our story to fundraising is a step forward in making the dream of a cure that much more real.”