RICHMOND, Va. — In a world where crayons and climbing trees colored her backyard and cartwheels painted joy across her afternoons, Kennedy Keene was your average 7-year-old.
She was inseparable from her brother, Adam, and her furry best friend, a husky named Sapphire.
But this sense of normalcy came to a screeching halt when her body stopped feeling like her own—something her mom, Athena Kennedy, remembered vividly.
"At first, she had a bunch of unknown fevers with unknown causes, and she stopped doing gymnastics because she was in a lot of pain. Once they ran blood work at the pediatrician, pretty much within 24 hours, we were at the hospital getting a port put in and starting chemotherapy."
In May 2021, Kennedy was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia—blood and bone marrow cancer.
The 7-year-old went from flipping through gymnastics routines to navigating hospital stays, chemotherapy, and the isolation that comes with having a fragile immune system.
“At the beginning, I was, like, really scared,” said Kennedy Keene, who is now 9. “I kind of just felt depressed or stressed... I couldn’t go to birthday parties or play with my friends…. All I could really do was sit in my room.”
Watch: Six-year-old cancer survivor gets dream vacation through Make-A-Wish Foundation
“She was a very different person,” her mom said. “It was heartbreaking. There was nothing I could do to help her other than to hold her. But I couldn't take the pain away. I couldn't stop it.”
In the quiet moments when friends were too far and pain too close, Kennedy found joy in something new, thanks to Make-A-Wish, a nonprofit that aims to improve the lives of children facing serious medical conditions by granting their wishes.
"I had something to look forward to while I was in treatment," said Kennedy.
"They basically said, you know, the sky's the limit. Where would you want to go?" said Athena. "Kennedy's really organized, so she had a whole notebook of wish opportunities, and she wrote down on each page a different wish and what the pros and cons were of each wish. In some ways, I think that was really helpful, because it got her looking at different opportunities all over the United States, of places she could go. And it just gave her something new to look forward to."
Kennedy said, "I think I wrote, I want to go to Fairbanks, Alaska, because I want to go dog sledding in honor of my dog, Sapphire."
And her other best friend.
"I know my family, and especially my brother, would like it."
Over the next few years of hospital visits, this new possibility gave her hope.
Her mom said, "It helped her to know something was coming at the end that was super exciting for her, that was definitely going to involve leaving the house and leaving the state of Virginia. She needed that when sometimes we wouldn't get to leave the house for like a month at a time other than a hospital."
Two and a half years after the diagnosis, Kennedy finally got to ring the bell at the hospital, proclaiming that she was cancer-free.
Soon after, the Keenes attended the Make-A-Wish Gala for Kennedy’s wish reveal.
Watch: Minecraft super fan gets wish granted at Microsoft headquarters
“She was just so excited when she walked on that stage, and they told her, 'You're going to Alaska, and you're going to get to go dog sledding.' So it was just such an amazing opportunity for her... Make-A-Wish made all that happen for us... It was truly like a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Athena said.
Kennedy and her family traded hospital hallways for glacier trails, dog sledding in the Arctic Circle, ice museums, hikes in snowshoes, and experiences with Alaska’s wildlife.
“In Alaska, I felt like a different person because I was out there in the cold, and I felt really creative in Alaska. I had a lot of fun things to look forward to in Alaska, so I felt really happy," Kennedy said.
Make-A-Wish didn’t just grant a trip—they delivered a dream of possibilities that carried Kennedy out of illness and into hope.
Her advice to other kids who might be struggling or feeling down: “Stay strong, and you'll know that you'll get through it eventually, and you'll have a big achievement at the end.”
Now back to gymnastics, playing with Sapphire, and dreaming big, Kennedy’s next goal?
“I’ve always wanted to be a doctor since I was little. But then I realized I had cancer, so now I want to help people, like how the doctors helped me.”
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