Auburn's Army Foundation

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Auburn's Army Foundation

Auburn Nicole Banks, 19, was diagnosed on December 11, 2021, with an inoperable IDH-mutant brain stem glioma.

This page shares updates, prayer requests, and ways to support Auburn and our family. Thank you for your love, encouragement, and prayers.

09/05/2026

Cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease among children in the United States.

The most common childhood cancers include leukemia, brain and other central nervous system tumors, and lymphoma.

DIPG stands for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. It is a rare, aggressive brain tumor that develops in the pons, an area of the brainstem.

The prognosis remains devastating. Median survival is less than one year, and only about 10% of children survive longer than two years.

Despite major improvements in survival for several childhood cancers, DIPG remains one of the pediatric cancers for which progress has been painfully limited. NCI notes that half of children with DIPG survive less than one year after diagnosis.

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08/06/2026

💜 A legacy that continues to inspire... 💜

Three years ago, Auburn attended her very first Banana Ball game, where she met Noah Bridges. What began as a chance meeting quickly became a friendship that would encourage Auburn throughout her cancer journey.

This past weekend in Savannah, Noah honored that friendship in a way we will never forget.

He had "Auburn Strong" jerseys made in Auburn's honor, wore them during Thursday & Friday nights games, and then donated them to the Auburn's Army Foundation.

What an incredible reminder that kindness has a lasting impact.

Auburn lived her life encouraging others, loving well, and pointing people to Jesus—even during her battle with an inoperable brain stem glioma for more than four years. Seeing others continue to share her story and carry her legacy forward is one of the greatest blessings we could ever receive.

We are so grateful to Noah Bridges for this thoughtful gift and for continuing to honor Auburn in such a meaningful way.

Thank you to the entire Banana Ball organization for sharing Auburn's story and allowing her light to reach so many people. Every person who hears her story becomes part of the legacy she continues to leave behind.

The Auburn's Army Foundation exists because we believe one life can make an eternal impact. Through scholarships, support for pediatric cancer families, and future research initiatives, we will continue working to ensure Auburn's legacy lives on.

As Auburn often said...

"God's Not Done With Me Yet."

We believe that message is still true today. God continues to use Auburn's story to encourage, inspire, and point others to Him.

Thank you for helping us continue to Live Like Auburn. 💜

05/26/2026

✨ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 ✨

During the 2026 Pamlico Christian Academy Commencement Ceremony, the Auburn’s Army Foundation was honored to present the inaugural Live Like Auburn Legacy Scholarship.

A heartfelt thank you to Pamlico Christian Academy for presenting this scholarship on our behalf and for helping us honor Auburn’s legacy in such a meaningful way. 💜

Created to recognize a PCA senior who exemplifies kindness, faith, perseverance, servant leadership, and strong Christian character — someone who truly reflects what it means to 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑨𝒖𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏.

🎓 Congratulations to our inaugural recipient, 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥.

Reece possesses a true servant’s heart. Whether during the school day or at extracurricular events, he is always willing to step in and help wherever needed — never seeking recognition or praise.

Though quiet in spirit, his kindness, humor, and genuine care for others leave a lasting impact on everyone around him.

Having attended Pamlico Christian Academy since preschool, Reece has truly grown up alongside the PCA family and has faithfully served as an incredible role model and “big buddy” to younger students through patience, encouragement, and compassion.

As Reece prepares to attend Western Carolina University this fall, we are honored to recognize him as the very first recipient of the ✨𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩✨

💛 Congratulations, Reece! We are so proud of you and excited for all that lies ahead. 💜🦋

📸: Kim Brinson Potter

05/22/2026

✨ 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 💜

During the 2026 Pamlico Christian Academy Commencement Ceremony, the Auburn’s Army Foundation was honored to present the inaugural ✨𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩✨ to 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐊𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐳.

The Live Like Auburn Nursing Scholarship was created to honor a legacy of grace, resilience, compassion, and selflessness — and Julia beautifully reflects each of those qualities.

Through her EMS training and Certified Nursing Assistant classes, Julia has already spent countless hours caring for and comforting others in our community with kindness and compassion. After graduation, she plans to attend Craven Community College to pursue a degree in nursing, with the ultimate goal of becoming a physician’s assistant.

💛 One year ago today, Julia stood beside Auburn celebrating her graduation from Pamlico Christian Academy. Last night, we had the honor of celebrating Julia as the very first recipient of the Live Like Auburn Nursing Scholarship. In so many ways, it felt like a beautiful full-circle moment.

Watching Auburn’s legacy continue to encourage and inspire others is something we will never take for granted.

A heartfelt thank you to Pamlico Christian Academy for presenting these awards and helping us honor Auburn’s legacy in such a meaningful way.

🎓 Congratulations, Julia! We are so proud of you and excited for all that lies ahead. 💜🦋

05/11/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to the moms who learned how to function on little sleep, high adrenaline, and constant prayer. 🎗

To the moms who learned medical language overnight. Who sat through scans, procedures, long hospital days, and impossible conversations while still somehow making sure their child felt safe and loved.

To the moms who advocated fiercely, held everything together, and kept showing up even when they were exhausted themselves.

To the moms who carried entire families through survival mode. The ones who celebrated clear scans while quietly carrying trauma no one else could see. The ones who still feel their chest tighten at random fevers, bruises, or lab work. The ones whose nervous systems never fully learned how to relax again.

Today is not about pretending the hard parts didn’t exist. It’s about recognizing the strength it took to survive them.
You deserve to be celebrated today. Fully. Not just for how hard you fought for your child, but for how much of yourself you poured out along the way.
And if today feels joyful and heavy at the same time, that’s okay too.

But I hope you know this:
What you carried mattered.
What you sacrificed mattered.
And you matter too.
Happy Mother’s Day, warrior moms. 💛

04/29/2026

We are honored to share the beginning of something very close to our hearts…💜

🦋Auburn’s Army Foundation🦋

In the midst of unimaginable loss, we have felt an overwhelming amount of love, support, and strength from our community. Auburn’s life, her courage, and the way she brought people together deserve to continue making an impact.

Auburn’s Army Foundation is being created to carry her legacy forward—supporting others and spreading hope in her name.

While we will be sharing more details soon, our vision is to:
• Award an annual nursing scholarship
• Support families facing pediatric cancer
• And, as we grow, contribute toward research efforts

We are currently in the process of establishing the foundation and applying for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.

If you feel called to be part of Auburn’s Army—through support, partnership, or helping us build this foundation—we would be grateful to connect with you.
📩 [email protected]

Thank you for continuing to stand with us, love us, and help us build something meaningful in Auburn’s name. 💛

02/17/2026

We are back inpatient at UNC

Yesterday we noticed Auburn was having more difficulty breathing and some trouble swallowing. We did two breathing treatments at home, but when she wasn’t improving, we knew it was time to head to the UNC ER — and I’m so thankful we did.

The team moved quickly. Getting her oxygen levels back up was the immediate priority. X-rays, labs, blood cultures — everything started right away.

At the moment, she is being treated for sepsis, and because she requires high-flow oxygen support, she’s being admitted to the ICU for close monitoring.

Her oncologist feels that everything is pointing toward tumor. However, since we recently started a new chemo protocol, there is also hope that what we’re seeing could be inflammation from the chemo doing its job — and that this could be reversible. We are holding space for both possibilities right now.

This makes our 4th admission since January 8. Auburn is tired. Her body is fighting an awful beast, and it’s taking a toll. But we also know she faced this monster for 4+ years and has stood her ground. We are not backing down now.

Meal train: Thank you to everyone who has sent gift cards or signed up to bring a meal. We are so incredibly thankful. We’re not sure how long we will be here this time, but we will keep everyone updated as we know more.

Please pray for her lungs, for clear answers, for wisdom for her team, and for strength for Auburn’s body to fight.

📸: Recent visit from Auburn’s BFF

Faith > Fear.

Address

200 Lee Landing Road
New Bern, NC
28560

Website

http://auburnsarmy.com/

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