Ellie Jade Timmer was a vibrant, funny and one-of-a-kind little girl who brought joy and laughter to everyone around her. Savannah, Ellie’s mom, described her as “sweet and sassy at the same time,” often calling Ellie her “Little Sour Patch Kid.” While Ellie loved dinosaurs and excavator trucks, she also loved Peppa Pig and purses. Ellie's personality filled their home with constant laughter. She is remembered by her parents for her jokes and playful sense of humor, especially when she would team up with Savannah to tease her dad.

In September of 2023, shortly after Ellie turned 2, she had been sick for about a week. She seemed to get sick fairly often, however, what stood out this time was how pale Ellie had become. Her parents brought her to urgent care, where bloodwork revealed her hemoglobin was dangerously low. From there, she was rushed to the emergency room where she received a blood transfusion and was hospitalized. Doctors believed she had Transient Erythroblastopenia of Childhood (TEC), a temporary, non-life-threatening form of anemia.

Over the next month, Ellie continued to have her blood drawn weekly with blood transfusions as needed. But Ellie's low hemoglobin levels persisted. Ellie was referred to a hospital five hours away in Kalispell, Montana for a bone marrow biopsy to better understand what was going on. It was there that the Timmer family received the devastating news that Ellie had juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), a rare form of leukemia. She was then transferred to the Children's Hospital of Colorado, where she began her cancer treatment journey.

Ellie’s treatment was an intense combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which was then followed by a bone marrow transplant. Her father, Cody, served as her donor. Even though Ellie endured more than any child should ever have to, her parents admire her for showing resilience every step of the way. No matter how hard her treatment became, Ellie never lost her smile.

Sadly, Ellie passed away in 2024, not long before her 3rd birthday. Her parents will forever remember her for her fearless spirit. She never lost her spark or even an ounce of her joy throughout her fight with cancer. To this day, she remains her family’s biggest source of inspiration and joy.

In Ellie’s honor, Savannah and Cody continue to fundraise for JMML research to help advance treatment and bring hope to other families facing this rare disease. On June 6, 2026, their family hosted Ellie Jade’s Lemonade Stand in Bozeman, Montana. The event featured a fire truck in honor of Ellie’s love for firefighters and included a grand prize raffle to help raise additional funds toward their goal. Their ongoing efforts through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation have already helped raise nearly $7,700 since 2024, funding critical hours of research. Now, they continue to host stands in Ellie’s memory, with the hope that her legacy will help bring about a cure.

Information provided by Savannah Timmer, Ellie's mom
Updated June 2026