We Can Be Better For They Existed

"And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed." — Maya Angelou

Amy Summy is Naya Summy’s mom, the inspiration behind No More Kids with Cancer. Amy is carrying out her daughter’s amazing spirit and wish to cure childhood cancer. Since Naya’s passing in 2014, Amy and her husband, Hank, have raised significant funds for childhood cancer research, funded groundbreaking research projects and clinical trials. They have attracted top researchers, scientists, advocates and philanthropists to help create a world where No More Kids with Cancer is a reality.

"Naya was our courageous, sweet, intelligent and funny 11-year old daughter with a brilliant energy that rubbed off on anyone who knew her. She was diagnosed with high-risk medulloblastoma (brain cancer) when she was nine.  She endured brain surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, only to relapse one year after her diagnosis. A cure didn't exist for Naya. In less than two years, her disease overtook her body and her brightness and smile left our world. 

She strove to enjoy every day in a manner that was full of grace, love, happiness and laughter, and her determination to enjoy life didn't change even as she fought to overcome cancer. Her love for life continues to inspire thousands every day."

You can read more about Naya's remarkable life, and Amy's experience as a parent whose child died from cancer, HERE.