Childhood Cancer Warrior Spotlight: Zoe

Zoe was always a healthy, energetic, and joyful child. She loved dance, gymnastics, swimming, and being on the go. Cancer was the last thing we ever imagined would become part of her story.

In January 2022, what began as coughing and vomiting suddenly became every parent’s nightmare. Zoe became confused and unable to communicate clearly, and we rushed her to the emergency room. After a CT scan, the doctor told us they had found a tumor in her brain.

In that moment, our lives changed forever.

Zoe was diagnosed with metastatic germinoma, a rare brain tumor that had also spread to her spine. She underwent procedures and 30 days of radiation to her brain and spine. For the first two weeks, she had to be sedated for treatment. Watching our child go through this was heartbreaking, but Zoe showed us a strength we never knew was possible.

She was a trooper. She was our champion. Through it all, we held tightly to our faith. Every day on the way to treatment, we listened to Christian music, prayed together, memorized Scripture, and claimed healing over her life. One verse became our family’s declaration:

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
Psalm 27:13

Today, Zoe is four years cancer-free.

Cancer left lasting effects. Zoe now lives with adrenal insufficiency and diabetes insipidus and will require medication for the rest of her life. But in true Zoe fashion, she has calmly made these things part of her everyday routine. She takes her medications and keeps going. She does not let them stop her from living, dreaming, laughing, and enjoying her life.

When we look back, we remember the fear and uncertainty, but even more, we see God’s goodness. We saw it in the doctors and nurses who cared for her, in every person who prayed for us and walked beside us, and in organizations like Sky High, which bring hope and joy to children and families during some of their hardest days.

Cancer will always be a chapter in Zoe’s story, but it will never define her story.

Her story is about faith when we were afraid. Strength when things seemed impossible. Hope when we could not see what tomorrow would bring. And a little girl who kept choosing to move forward.

Four years later, we no longer pray simply for another tomorrow. We get to watch Zoe live those tomorrows. We get to watch her grow, dream, laugh, and become the young woman God created her to be.

And every time we look at her, we are reminded: God heard our prayers. His goodness was there all along. And Zoe is our living reminder that hope is worth holding onto.