DeliahBrave

09/02/2026

I am wearing a pair of shoes.
They are ugly shoes.
Uncomfortable shoes.
I hate my shoes.
Each day I wear them, and each day I wish I had another pair.
Some days my shoes hurt so bad that I do not think I can take another step.

Yet, I continue to wear them.
I get funny looks wearing these shoes. They are looks of sympathy.
I can tell in others eyes that they are glad they are my shoes and not theirs.
They never talk about my shoes.

To learn how awful my shoes are might make them uncomfortable.
To truely understand these shoes you
must walk in them. But, once you put them on, you can never take them off.
I now realize that I am not the only
one who wears these shoes.
There are many pairs in the world.

Some people are like me and ache daily as they try and walk in them.
Some have learnt how to walk in
them so they don’t hurt quite so bad. Some have worn the shoes so long that days will go by before they think
about how much they hurt.

No one deserves to wear these shoes. Yet, because of these shoes I am a stronger person.
These shoes have given me the strength to face anything.
They have made me who I am.
I will forever walk in the shoes of a person who has a child with cancer.
-Unknown





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08/27/2026

Last time Deliah had near perfect vision was 8/27/2019. Pictures show before and after brain surgery. To date, her vision has the biggest impact on her daily life. No one quite understands, either. More than anything, I wish God would restore her vision.

Yesterday she wore her eye patch for the first time in five years. Trying to adjust back to school has been difficult. 😔

Of course I'd love for Deliah to be healed completely of cancer but her eyes are a major roadblock.


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08/10/2026

✨️🎗 S E V E N 🎗✨️

Deliah was diagnosed seven years ago today. I hope by sharing Deliah’s story all these years has brought awareness from all angles.

The past seven years, this week has always been a roller coaster...

•Carter's birthday
•My birthday
•Diagnosis day

We really try to be out of town, keeping our minds busy & most importantly - spending quality time together. 💕

It’s a heavy, bittersweet day, made more anxious by Deliah’s upcoming MRI and two days of appointments at Duke this week. 🤢 Followed up by another MRI this weekend. 😣


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07/07/2026

Every year these pictures set off emotions. A heafty gut punch... the month before diagnosis, our life was "normal" and Carter had a regular old silly sister.

No cancer.
No doctors.
No hospitals.
No surgeries.
No medicine.
No double vision.
No weekly labs.
No pain. 😭

Deliah didn't have a...
-neurologist
-oncologist
-neurosurgeon
-cardiologist
-nephrologist
-endocrinologist
-neuro ophthalmologist

Grief and mourning what once was and what could have been is... hard. One minute you're completely fine and the next you're crying your eyes out due to a couple pictures.

Wipe your tears.
Make more coffee.
Life goes on.


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07/03/2026

We've had a very rocky start to summer. Deliah injured her ankle pretty badly. Carter scared her and her friends in the dark. 🫣😅 She'll be in a boot for quite some time. She's annoyed by the pain and the boot. Outside of that, life keeps throwing us lemons but we keep going.

Deliah's endocrinologist has ordered some more testing. Eager to get answers... Maybe? Finally? 🤞🙏 If not, I guess we'll keep ruling things out. Next week she goes in for botox.

Deal also mentions her vision is getting worse in her bad eye. 😰 I think she'll need glasses soon. (Unfortunately not to correct double vision) It's always something.

We finally have a new tee shirt coming soon. Keep an eye out. Deliah is pretty excited about this one!


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06/27/2026

Deliah was diagnosed 6 years 10 months ago. This statistic has always been an incredibly hard pill to swallow. 😰 We obviously do not focus on this statistic and try to live our lives... but it's always there in the back of your head. The past year and a half has been a roller coaster. We desperately need more research and funding. 🧬🔬❤️‍🩹

💡 ALK Fact

Median survival for people diagnosed with stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer has now reached nearly seven years thanks to targeted therapies and decades of research.

That is extraordinary progress.

But nearly 30% of patients still experience disease progression within two years of starting first-line treatment.

Progress is real—but we're not done.

We need more treatments. More options. More breakthroughs.

Help us fuel what comes next. Every gift is matched through June 30.

👉 Donate today: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/fuelthecure/

05/29/2026

It's been a crazy road! I can't believe Deliah is headed to high school. She's been through so much & has come so far. Diagnosed right before 2nd grade, headed into 9th. Still fighting! 💪🥊🎗🩷

Send a message to learn more

05/21/2026

Deliah had her 8th grade ceremony yesterday. She got so many awards. 🖤 We then raced to Duke for an MRI and oncology appointment. It was an emotional day for so many reasons!

No pictures with friends
No celebratory ice cream
No goodbye hugs to teachers
No walking the halls one last time

Cancer steals joy.
Cancer sours memories.
Cancer disrupts life in the worst ways.


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05/15/2026

Where has the time gone? ⏳️
Next week is a big one for these two. Deliah has her 8th grade moving up ceremony & Carter will officially be a Senior. 🥹💖

Lots of Duke appointments, as well. Praying for good news and answers.


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05/06/2026

Go Gray in May! 🎗

Brain Tumor Awareness Month 🧠🩶

● Pediatric brain tumors are the most common solid tumor in children, with over 4,000 cases diagnosed annually in the US. They are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children aged 0–14

● Brain tumors account for roughly 1 in 4 (25%) of all childhood cancers.

● They are the deadliest childhood cancer, causing more deaths than any other type of cancer in children.

● Childhood brain and other nervous system cancers are slightly more common in boys than girls.

● While new cases of brain tumors in adults are shrinking each year, incidence rates of pediatric brain tumors continue to grow.

● Most children with brain tumors are treated with procedures and treatments developed more than 50 years ago specifically for adults. Very few drugs exist that are approved by the FDA for treatment of children with brain tumors.

● The average pediatric brain tumor survivor experiences 24 chronic health conditions by age 50, the highest of all childhood cancers. This is compared to the general public average of 9.2 chronic health conditions.



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