Blakely, now age 6, skated in her first Sk8 to Elim8 Cancer™ event in Fort Wayne, Indiana in April 2022.

“Our daughter Blakely was diagnosed with pediatric kidney cancer (Wilms) at almost 8 months old. Diagnosis day will never be just an ordinary day to us! After she was diagnosed, surgery to remove her kidney and chemotherapy quickly followed. Her journey taught us so much about how fragile life is, but also how important an amazing support system is from those early days and through the final push through at those final chemotherapy treatments.

Even after treatment, the work of building back health and endurance was a long journey. Having resources like physical therapy was so important to get her back and learning how to walk, to running, and now to ice skating. The long-term impacts of chemotherapy last years and even longer, so it is so important to support new treatment options for children battling cancer!”

-Anna Schroeder