All-Star Emily

Meet Emily

At the age of 8, Emily was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Emily’s MDS quickly turned into Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. In August of 2016, Emily had a bone marrow transplant at Duke University Hospital. Emily’s sister Kendall was a perfect match.

Thirty-five nights were spent in the hospital at Duke. On one of Emily’s worst days, her Dad showed her Jim Valvano’s 1993 ESPYs speech. Her Dad thought after hearing his motivating words, Emily would be inspired to keep pushing forward, even when things were tough.

After watching his speech, the first thing Emily said was “Dad, when I’m better, can we give to help?”

“Emily thinks of others first in everything she does, including her own battle with cancer. The V Foundation will always have a special place in our family’s heart. We are so thankful for everything being done to fight cancer!” – Emily’s Mom Stacy

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