At 2 years old, Everly had the most vibrant and kind personality her mom had ever known. She loved classic cars, motorcycles, dinosaurs, unicorns and pizza.

Everly was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma two days before Christmas 2022. Her only symptom ended up being a main symptom of her cancer: random bruising on both her eye lids. She went through eight rounds of intermediate chemotherapy treatment but then had tumor growth at the end of it. It wasn’t until later her doctors found out her tumor biopsy was read incorrectly, and Everly was supposed to be in the high-risk category the entire time. She was switched to a new hospital and was put on a high-risk protocol.

Sadly, after a long battle, Everly passed away on June 14, 2024.

Her mother, Kayla, says that Everly is her hero for many reasons, but most of all because she has seen her little body go through things that would absolutely traumatize an adult. She was always astounded that at the end of the day she was still so loving.

Kayla wants other families who may be facing a childhood cancer diagnosis to know how important it is to be your child’s biggest and loudest advocate. She says to never settle for mediocre answers and care. While it is the hardest journey you’ll ever walk, it will be even harder if you don’t stay on top of everything happening.

To Kayla, foundations like Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation are some of the greatest advocates for families. “I hope this organization gets the word out of childhood cancer and gets more funding for research,” she said. “The children deserve treatment targeted for them and not for adult cancer.”

“Rawr! Dinosaur!” – Everly

Information provided by Kayla R., Evelyn’s mom
Updated April 2025