Kelly's Story
Kelly was born February 25, 1988, in Dumas, Texas. What number of years are enough years to touch the lives of those you know? How many years would it take to change the lives of those who know you? For many of us, one hundred years would not be enough. Kelly did it in twelve. She was diagnosed with neuroblastoma shortly after entering the third grade. And from that point forward, she fought her cancer with a level of courage seldom seen by God.
Like the shepherd boy facing down the giant, Kelly never gave up despite the odds being greatly stacked against her, and the beauty of her spirit enhanced us all. Kelly was the top fundraiser for the 1999 Ride for the Roses cycling event in Austin, Texas, benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation and cancer patients everywhere. In spite of her frail body and terminal diagnosis, she remained a shining light of hope in the dark and far too often defenseless world of cancer.
She is the "Yellow Jersey'' wearer of Cook Medical Center and the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Worth, Texas. Her legacy is only now beginning, but will include this Foundation, "Kelly's Team'' at the annual Ride for the Roses, the Cook Children's "Life After Cancer'' program - and in a large way the Lance Armstrong Foundation. This little girl truly enriched the lives of many children and adults across the country. Though in the end she did not beat cancer, Kelly was and always will be a winner.
