My amazing mom’s name is Tamy, and she is an unbreakable force.

I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 2, and I can tell you right now, I don’t remember anything about that time of my life. But my mom does. She remembers all of it, even the parts she wants to forget that I am glad I don’t remember. 

My mom was the one who stayed with me every day and every night at the hospital; the one that memorized my schedule and all my medicine while taking care of my younger brother, who was just 9 months old at the time. 

My mom became close with other cancer parents on the floor, finding support for herself through those other parents so she could support me. She fought for me even when she was tired and devastated and just trying to hold herself together. 

Even now, 15 years after my cancer diagnosis, my mom continues to fight for me. Through world changes and setbacks, she can still put a smile on my face and make me laugh. I have anxiety, and she is always there just to hold me and talk me through panic attacks. She goes to all of my doctor’s appointments, because she knows that I need her support and I don’t want to face it alone. She learns everything she can about my side effects so she can help me as much as possible and so that we can understand what is happening a little more. 

She supports me in everything I do and encourages me when I feel like giving up. She is always a close presence even if I don’t want to talk, and she makes sure she is always there when I do. She attends all my activities, always volunteers to help, and always asks what’s going on in my life. When I have a problem, she is the first person I can turn to for help because I know that she isn’t going to judge, and she will help me figure out the best way to solve my dilemma.

My mom is the one who first discovered Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and encouraged our family to volunteer. Now we host a lemonade stand every year on my birthday weekend with another cancer family. 

My mom showed me that being an example for families going through cancer, letting them see how I am now, really lifts their spirits and brings hope in a dark time. My mom is the reason I have met so many amazing people through childhood cancer, and the reason I will always try to volunteer when I can.

My mom is unbreakable. When she has a hard time, she always overcomes. She tries to make things as good for my brother and I as possible. She wants the best for me and wants me to have everything she never did, but she makes sure I learn lessons along the way. She taught me how to work hard, care, and keep fighting. My mom is my best friend and my greatest ally. She is the person I look up to and admire because she never lets life beat her down. She is the reason I have become who I am today. I love you to Neverland and back, Mom.

Karlee is 17 years old. When she was 2 years old, she was diagnosed with stage IV embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. She endured 14 months of treatment — surgery, chemotherapy and radiation — and continues to face long-term health side effects from treatment. 

Karlee is cancer-free and graduated high school on Mother’s Day 2023. She is heading to college in the fall, where she will be part of the marching band and color guard and hopes to someday own her own business. 

Her mom, Tamy, thinks that Karlee is an unbreakable force as well. She is Tamy’s hero because she pushes through each and every long-term side effect that comes at her. “They may catch her off guard and come with a lot of tears, but she gets up, dusts herself off and pushes forward. At only five feet tall, she is a fierce force to be reckoned with,” says Tamy.