“One Step at a Time….Row On”

On Sunday, September 15, 2019, our hearts forever shattered into a million pieces. Our beautiful, spunky, smiley, tenacious 4-year-old daughter passed away despite our family’s and doctors’ best efforts. We ran out of options; we ran out of time. Now, with our motto through all of Rowan’s treatment, “one step at a time”, we pick ourselves back up and Row On to find a cure for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Rowan was diagnosed on October 4, 2018 with a rare form of Leukemia, AML M7, also known as Acute Megakaryocytic Leukemia (AMKL). Rowan faced this journey against childhood cancer with dignity, grace, spunk, tenacity, and the most precious smile on her face. She danced her way through treatments and when the days got rough, we just took it “one step at a time” putting one foot in front of the other. Row Row left her doctors, nurses, and all who loved her in awe of her fighting and loving spirit. After 2 intense rounds of chemotherapy, our family relocated to another state. Rowan received chemo and total body radiation therapy and then a successful cord blood transplant in January of 2019. We were announced Cancer Free on May 15, 2019 only to relapse on June 15, 2019. Our family relocated 2 more times to try to find a treatment that would allow for another bone marrow transplant. Unfortunelty, after 2 failed clinical trials, Rowan passed away. Rowan left a lasting impression on all she met. She loved swimming, Barbies, horses, Peppa Pig, chocolate sprinkled cupcakes and doughnuts, the color black, music, head banging to Pantera, but most of all, she loved her big sister, Emory.

Rowan’s smile and spirit touched your soul, and the light she left will Ever Glow. She has inspired us to DO MORE.

We want people to know that kids get cancer and that funding for research is critical to their survival. So in honor of Rowan, to continue her legacy, and Row On, we are launching the RowOn 4 A Cure Hero Fund. Through this fund, we want to raise awareness, hope, and research dollars to help improve treatments for relapse and reach the ultimate goal, a cure for AML. Taking a cue from our Rowie, we will take it one step at a time, and we’d love for you to join us. Together we are Rowan Strong and can make a difference.