Today, marks four years since our world changed forever—September 25, 2021—when Dan and I heard the words no parent should ever hear: “Your baby girl has cancer.” Maddy was just three months old, one day shy of her four-month checkup. We’ll never forget that urgent care visit, the rush to the ER, or the doctor’s words that night: “Don’t worry too much, there’s a 98% chance of survival.” What he didn’t know was that for babies like Maddy, the survival rate was less than 50%, and the road ahead would be anything but “normal.”
In four years, we’ve carried so many questions. What would life look like if things were different? What milestones would Maddy be reaching now? What new questions would she be asking, like her twin sister Hannah does every day?
Hannah has begun asking more about her sister—why this happened, where she is, what it means to miss someone you only had such a short time with. Her questions remind us that love keeps growing, even without answers.
Out of that hardest season, the Madelyn James Foundation was born—to make sure no family walks through these impossible moments alone. That’s why we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with families facing infant and toddler cancer. And why, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re raising our voices louder than ever: with cuts to NIH and Medicaid, funding is needed now more than ever.
Over these years, we’ve been honored to witness so many moments of resilience and hope:
These stories are Maddy’s legacy. They are the heart of our mission. And, they remind us that while we can’t change the past, we can change the future for babies and toddlers with cancer and their families.
Four years in, we’re more committed than ever. Every child deserves the chance to thrive, and every family deserves to be fully supported along the way.
💛 For Maddy and, for every child diagnosed with cancer.
Today, 47 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer. Honor them by giving $47 to support our mission and stand with families who need us most.
Love,
Jackie, Dan and Hannah