About
The Brave Like McKenna Foundation
was created in Honor of our daughter, McKenna Royer, who lost her battle to DMG February 26, 2024. McKenna courageously and bravely battled DMG, a rare and aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer.
She marched through treatments and physical setbacks with such determination. As parents, it is devastating to watch your child battle a disease that you are told there is no cure for. As we quickly found out, pediatric cancer research, family support and advancement in patient care is grossly underfunded.
We were fortunate enough to have a community, family and friends who led the way and connected us with foundations and financial resources we so desperately needed. McKenna knew that we would go to the ends of the earth for her.
Families are often faced with traveling long distances for treatment as we did. Her treatment journey took us halfway around the world. While her treatment wasn’t successful in extending her time here on earth, we were so fortunate to be able to travel together as a family. We got to make memories and live in the moment without the external pulls and pressures of everyday life. We got to give McKenna and her siblings an experience that most will never get in a lifetime. We got to laugh and smile and enjoy moments that ultimately were our last with our sweet girl.
During McKenna’s journey we discussed on multiple occasions how if we weren’t so connected what an isolating and financially devastating life experience this would have been. Pediatric cancer does not discriminate; and we want to support families of all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds and ultimately improve family and patient outcomes. McKenna and her siblings will always be our WHY. Why we get up in the morning, why we push through another day, why we love, why we smile, why we laugh, and why we FIGHT. We look forward to walking alongside other families and researchers and helping them fight for their WHY!
