HELPING CHILDREN IN MARYLAND, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND VIRGINIA MANEUVER THEIR WAY THROUGH THEIR CANCER JOURNEY
Abby’s Carts of Courage gifts children with cancer a new wagon to help them maneuver through their cancer journey. Often, cancer and its treatment leave patients fatigued and weak. While baby strollers are a great solution, they have a weight limit of 55 pounds making it unsafe for children above that to use. As you will read in Abby’s story below, a wagon is the perfect solution.
Filled with items to help keep their mind off their diagnosis and refuel their spirits, these gifts are a true blessing to both the child and their caregivers.
Abby’s story - and the story of the wagon
Abby is a spunky and compassionate eight-year-old girl that loves art, dancing, books, and making people smile. She enjoys eating chicken nuggets and quoting lines from her favorite movies in her spare time. Abby is an incredibly positive person despite all the challenges she has faced. Her passion for making others happy shines through her dark moments through the compliments, hugs, joy, and love she constantly spreads to those around her.
In 2019, one week after her 4th birthday, during an ophthalmology appointment, Abby was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer called AT/RT. She underwent a craniotomy merely days after diagnosis. Abby experienced 3 months of induction consisting of 5 different chemo therapies followed by 3 months of consolidation with stem cell rescue at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore and Children’s National in Washington, DC. Following these treatments, Abby was given anesthesia daily for 28 days during Proton Radiation Therapy at MPTC in Baltimore. Once proton therapy was complete, she began 9 months of oral chemotherapy.
Due to the incredible amount of traveling between the 3 hospitals, Abby’s mom, Katie, invested in a wagon to help her move around. Abby’s legs were weak from the chemotherapy and walks around the hospital campuses and even from the parking lot were often just too much for Abby to take. The wagon allowed Abby to be easily pulled from one place to the next, while allowing her to save her strength for her fight. The wagon was also useful in transporting necessities needed for lengthy inpatient stays.
The wagon became more than just a mode of transportation for Abby, but a safe place for her to sit, read, paint, or just hang out during checkups. It’s even essential to her now as she begins to build up leg strength again after treatment.
Spreading love to others
Abby loves to help others and this prompted the idea of Abby’s Carts of Courage. Not only does a wagon provide much needed support for a child fighting cancer, but also for their family and caregivers. Please help us spread the love and courage by providing a safe space for cancer warriors with your donation.
abby’s carts of courage INTAKE FORM
For more information about this program or to register, please contact Katie at krenehan@respiteretreats.org to check eligibility and receive a password for the form below. Please note that Abby’s Carts of Courage only supports pediatric cancer patients in the Maryland, DC & Virgina areas.
ABBY’S ANGELS
Abby’s Angels are Carts of Courage wagon sponsors committed to adopting a pediatric cancer warrior and filling a wagon with comfort items to help them maneuver through their cancer journey.
There are several ways to sponsor a child.
Donate. Make a $400.00 donation to Abby’s Carts of Courage. This will cover the cost of the Radio Flyer Wagon and goodies to fill it. Respite Retreats staff will purchase the wagon and comfort items tailored to fit the child in need. Staff and Abby will then assemble, fill the wagon and deliver.
Shop. Purchase a Radio Flyer wagon and items to fill it based on the child's needs that will be assigned to you. We will pick up and deliver.
Collective Campaign. Create an Abby’s Carts of Courage Campaign by making an Amazon Wish List for your cancer warrior. Invite friends, family and co-workers to purchase an item from your list to fill the wagon. We will pick up and deliver.
When possible, we will give Abby’s Angels the opportunity to deliver the wagons themselves.
Once an Angel is matched with a Warrior, we will send all the information needed to customize the perfect wagon. We have committed to have wagons delivered within a month of the request being received.
Abby’s Angels
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
