Meet Starlight Kid, Sammy

Sammy is a thriving 8-year-old from the Bay Area. She loves school, swimming, and is looking forward to the arrival of her baby sister this month.  

A birthday and a diagnosis  

In 2019, she and her family traveled to Disneyland to celebrate Sammy’s 8th birthday. What should’ve been an exciting trip at the happiest place on earth turned into a nightmare for the family.    

 Sammy was diagnosed with a brain tumor.   

Thanks to the swift actions taken by her neurologists, she underwent successful resection of the tumor.   

Shortly after surgery, Sammy was given a Starlight Gown.   

“It was a little gesture that gave her some choice in what she got to wear while recovering in the hospital,” said Emerose, Sammy’s mom.   

Sammy’s Starlight Gown was a small part of her hospital experience. Still, it was instrumental in making sure she felt like she had a choice during a scary and stressful experience.   

Road ahead 

Sammy spent the first few months of treatment between facilities in Los Angeles, Seattle, and her home in the Bay Area. Now, she faces a year of chemotherapy and adjusting to a new normal.   

Her parents have been proud of the strength she has shown since her diagnosis. Sammy continues to thrive, and so far, does not show any deficits from her surgery.   

 “She longs to swim freely without having to worry about any tubes and just be a carefree kid!”  

Your donation today can help provide Starlight Gowns to more hospitalized kids like Sammy.