Cancer survivor, mother raising money for Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Here's how to help.

RICHMOND, Va. — An Ashland mother and son are sharing their story of a difficult year as they help raise money for Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR).

Aidan was 21-years-old last fall when severe back pain suddenly turned into a medical emergency.

After weeks of pain and several urgent care visits, Aidan woke up one morning with numbness in his legs. An MRI revealed a large tumor on his spine.

“He was losing feeling in his legs, almost from his torso down,” Amy said. “We just all thought he had hurt his back.”

Aidan underwent emergency surgery that same day to relieve pressure on his spinal cord and remove as much of the tumor as possible. He spent about two months in a wheelchair while working to regain his strength and mobility.

He was eventually diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer that primarily affects children and young adults.

“It was just like a crash,” Aidan said. “It feels like a cruel joke because you finally grow up, and then you've got this crazy pediatric cancer.”

Aidan received 28 weeks of the most aggressive form of chemotherapy at CHoR. His care team also coordinated six weeks of proton radiation therapy in Washington, D.C.

Today, Aidan has completed treatment and is in the surveillance phase.

“We just had our latest scans done, and there is no sign of disease at all,” Amy said. “So we're just riding the maintenance train right now.”

For Amy, being able to receive that care close to home made an enormous difference.

“We were so thankful that we could go right here in our backyard and not abandon the rest of our lives through this process and still be able to give Aidan the best care that he needed,” Amy said. “The simple fact of that we can get this level of care here in Richmond, I think people take that for granted.”

Now, Amy is serving as a spokesperson for the 11th annual Sheehy Lexus of Richmond Champions for Charity Golf Event, happening Thursday, Sept. 24 at Independence Golf Club in Midlothian.

Last year’s tournament raised more than $100,000 for CHoR. Since 2016, the event has generated more than $780,000 for children-focused charities.

This year’s event also includes a silent auction featuring an all-inclusive golf experience at Pebble Beach Resorts, with opportunities to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Poppy Hills Golf Course.

Bidding is open to the public through 11:59 p.m. Sept. 24, with proceeds benefiting Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.

For Amy, supporting the hospital now has a much more personal meaning.

“We've seen the families. We are the families,” Amy said. “You're really donating to people who are going through some of the hardest times they'll ever face in their life.”

Amy says the care Aidan received close to home helped make an incredibly difficult year easier to navigate.

“To be able to just get the level of care he got here, it just meant the world to us,” Amy said.

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