Our Story
This is our daughter Alessia’s story, and we feel a responsibility to share it—not only to honor her but also to raise awareness about the urgent need for research, support, and resources in the fight against pediatric cancer.
Alessia’s journey took an unexpected turn when she was just three years old. During a routine physical exam in March 2021, her pediatrician, Dr. Audra Schweitzer, felt something unusual near her spleen. This finding led to an ultrasound, followed by a phone call that would change our lives forever. Hearing the words, “Your child has cancer,” left us in shock. A tumor had been found on her lower left kidney and they suspected it to be Wilms Tumor.
Our minds were flooded with questions—How could this happen? Why her? Why us?’ Alessia was such a healthy, vibrant little girl, and there was no family history of Wilms Tumor. We felt heartbroken, terrified, and as though our world had been turned upside down in a single moment. But as her parents, we knew we had to be strong, to be the calm and reassurance she would need throughout this journey.
The next day, Alessia and Paul met with her oncologist, Dr. Michael Ortiz, at Memorial Sloan Kettering. A CT scan confirmed our worst fears—she likely had Wilms Tumor. The doctors acted quickly, and just three days later, Alessia underwent a five-hour surgery to remove her left kidney, along with surrounding fatty tissue and lymph nodes. Her diagnosis was confirmed as Stage 2 Wilms Tumor, and she was now set to begin 20 weeks of chemotherapy.
We will never forget her strength. After five days in the hospital recovering and starting her first dose of chemotherapy, Alessia was back home, outside playing with her best friend Sami as if nothing had changed. That resilience in children—it’s incredible, and it inspires us every day.
The next four months of chemotherapy were tough. Alessia dreaded having her port accessed, and although she lost a lot of her hair, she didn’t seem to notice or mind. Despite the endless appointments—MRIs, CT scans, bloodwork, and tests—she adjusted. In her own way, she came to understand that all these procedures were necessary to make sure her ‘boo-boo,’ as she called it, wouldn’t come back.
This experience, as painful as it has been, also brought us something invaluable: a renewed sense of purpose. Our annual Drive the Dream of Hope golf outing and other events give us the opportunity to raise funds and awareness to advance research, improve treatments, and build a future where pediatric cancer becomes less common, less deadly, and ultimately disappears. Each of you here is a crucial part of that mission.
This past July marked 3 years with no evidence of disease for Alessia and she has now transitioned to biannual checkups. Sometimes she asks about the scar on her belly and wonders why her younger brother Alex, her mom, and her dad don’t have one. One day when she’s old enough to understand, we’ll share the full story with her. For us, the battle will never truly end—pediatric cancer has left a lasting mark on our family.
Alessia taught us what courage looks like in its purest form, and in her honor, and in honor of all children fighting this battle, we invite you to join us in doing everything we can to bring change. By supporting pediatric cancer research, we can create a world where children with cancer have access to safer, less toxic treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
Thank you for standing with us, for believing in this cause, and for giving families like ours a reason to hope. Together, we are making a difference.
Alessia has been the inspiration behind the
Drive the Dream of Hope outings.
Every donation helps us to support and expand pediatric cancer research.
- Cindy & Paul Fegan
