“I want people to know that everything that happens to you in your life will make you a better person, even cancer,” says Caroline Dunn. “The longer you mope, the longer you’ll be stuck in the mope. Having a positive mindset is huge to not only recovering, but actually thriving.”   Sage words from a young cancer survivor. In December, 2021, at age 14, Caroline was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Now, one year into a potentially three-year chemotherapy regimen, Caroline is looking forward to doing all the things that a typical 15-year-old is ready to do, like picking a ..read more

Originally from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, ASK dad Andrew Frantz worked in as a seasonal ranger, and Rebecca as a pastor. Together, they enjoyed life raising their adorable 2-year-old son, Owen: a brave and talkative tot who befriends everyone he meets, with boundless energy and a love for life that fills every room he goes into. In 2021, life started to change when Owen developed an on-and-off fever over the course of several months. It wasn't until his teacher noticed Owen's discomfort at daycare that Andrew and Rebecca started to realized something was seriously wrong. "What finally wa ..read more

Last year, Meya noticed a lump in her collar bone.  Initially, she was given an antibiotic for a suspected infection, and sent for a CT scan. Within two hours, Meya’s mom, Juliet, was told her daughter had either lymphoma or leukemia. A lymph node biopsy and a bone marrow test confirmed Stage 3 Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkin Lymphoma, a rare form of lymphoma. Thankfully, four treatments later, Meya has been declared cancer-free with clear scans and she is not looking back! As a student in the musical theater program at Henrico High School, Meya was anxious to get back on the stage and to th ..read more

“Levi started complaining that dinosaurs were stomping in his head because his headaches were so severe,” recalls ASK mom Jessica Webb. “Then we noticed that he was losing his appetite, his vision was blurred and his balance was off, and in my heart I knew something was very wrong.” After several pediatrician visits and eventually a CT scan, Jessica’s four year old son, Levi, was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma – a brain tumor – in February 2022. ““No matter what the end of this journey looks like, I know that God is always with us and He has a plan, but those first few weeks of diagnosi ..read more

The holiday season is around the corner, and we want to fill it with as much joy and hope as we can for our childhood cancer families. It's going to take a community of big hearts to stock Santa's sleigh – but with your helping hands, we know we can do it. Will you lend a hand to make this holiday season a joyous one for our ASK kids and siblings? We plan on hosting our annual holiday party as a Winter Wonderland Walk-Through experience at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on December 3rd. We need our village to make the magic happen! Purchase a Toy for a Child or Gift Card for a Teen Help ..read more

As ASK’s chaplain, Rich Catlett sees every day the many stresses that having a child with cancer can put on a family. But as Covid isolation and concerns continue, and opportunities for ASK families to connect with the outside world are diminished by treatments and extended hospital stays, Rich knows that new mental health challenges are developing and deep fatigue is growing. For three years, Rich has served every family that is treated in the ASK Clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond.  Serving as the chaplain in a previous job, he was accustomed to helping children and familie ..read more

With Harvard in his sights and many more documentaries to produce through his non-profit film company, Eshan Vishwakarma is ready for the next chapter in his life. The fact that he is a 15-year cancer survivor of Stage 3 Neuroblastoma helped shape his future, but didn’t derail his goals and aspirations.   “I don’t remember a lot of my diagnosis,” explains Eshan, “but I know my parents and I fought hard for me to be here. We shifted our entire lives for my chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy, and I’m so grateful to just be here and for all of the support I’ve received from ASK ..read more

10 years ago, two little girls had a dream to raise $1 million for ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation. 10 years of hard work and dedication later, they are a ¼ of their way towards that goal! “Mackenzie has never known life without cancer,” explains Victoria Levi, co-founder of the Fredericksburg ASK Golf Tournament. When Mackenzie was 21 months old, she was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a brain tumor at the base of her brain. She underwent 2 surgeries and 7 months of chemo down at VCU before being declared ‘cancer free’. But that didn’t stop the visits to the clinic and the follow up testing ..read more

​When Jon Longenecker started with ASK to create services and programs for our families in the Fredericksburg area, he saw an opportunity to create something amazing.  As a retired special education teacher, he was accustomed to creating new and different approaches to learning and social challenges with adolescents and young adults, and he knew that he could help build the same type of programming and services in Fredericksburg that are offered to young pediatric oncology patients in Richmond, ASK's home base. “The more I learn about ASK and its mission of making life better for childr ..read more

The moment we've been waiting for has finally arrived! Earlier today, the state budget was signed and approved by Governor Youngkin. This means that children with cancer will receive dedicated state funding for the FIRST TIME in Virginia’s history. In a nutshell, this new funding will: Provide a Pediatric Cancer Support Navigator for each of the five pediatric cancer treatment centers across Virginia. Create a bridge between a patient's medical team and their school to ensure they don't fall behind. Help EVERY young cancer patient transition back to school during and after treatment ..read more