Ava's Army

Ava’s Army was founded with a mission to raise awareness and fund critical research for pediatric leukemia.

In March 2017, at just 4 years old, Ava was diagnosed with leukemia. After 800 days of treatment, and incredible strength and resilience, she officially completed treatment in 2019. While that milestone was worth celebrating, the journey did not end there.

Like many childhood cancer survivors, Ava continues to face significant long-term side effects from the harsh chemotherapy treatments used to save her life. She suffers from neuropathy caused by nerve damage, severe dental complications, and an increased risk of developing secondary cancers later in life due to the toxic nature of her treatment.

What is especially heartbreaking is that the treatment protocol Ava received is largely the same protocol that has been used for more than 25 years. Despite advances in so many areas of medicine, standard pediatric leukemia treatments have seen little meaningful innovation — and many remain incredibly damaging to a child’s developing body.

Childhood cancer research remains devastatingly underfunded, leaving children to endure treatments that are often as brutal as the disease itself. Our children deserve safer, more effective options.

Here in Nebraska, the need is especially urgent. Nebraska ranks among the highest states in the nation for pediatric cancer incidence and mortality rates, and every four days, a child in Nebraska is diagnosed with cancer.

We believe children deserve more than survival-they deserve healthy futures.

That belief is why Ava’s Army was created: to help fund life-saving research focused on developing safer, more effective treatments for pediatric cancer. Through the incredible support of our community, Ava’s Army has proudly donated more than $469,000 toward pediatric cancer research to help move us closer to better outcomes and brighter tomorrows for children fighting cancer.