10/07/2026
Today, we are honored to introduce you to Gianna, a sassy, strong-willed, silly, and deeply loving little girl who is forever 6 years old.
Gianna loved all things girly, dressing fancy every chance she got, pink, jewelry, heels, and makeup. But she also loved Star Wars, Pokemon, and Disneyland. During long hospital stays, she would often pass the time singing and dancing. She made people laugh everywhere she went with her silly personality and her wonderfully filter-free comments, and she was never afraid to tell her nurses and doctors exactly what she would and would not be doing that day. Gianna was brave, beautiful, and full of love.
Gianna's fight began when she was just four years old. What seemed at first like a playground injury turned out to be something far more serious. After pain in her leg led to X-rays, a mass was discovered growing on her right femur and little Gianna was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma.
What followed was one of the most grueling treatment journeys a child can face. Gianna had surgery to place a port and then endured seven rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, followed by two rounds of brutal high-dose chemotherapy, and two bone marrow transplants (each requiring a month-long stay in the hospital). She also had surgery to remove her left adrenal gland, twelve rounds of radiation, and three rounds of immunotherapy. In between, there were countless tests, shots, feeding tube placements, blood and platelet transfusions, weekly dressing changes, episodes of septic shock, and repeated hospital admissions for fevers. No matter how much pain she was in though, Gianna always seemed to find a way to keep smiling and singing.
When asked why pediatric cancer funding matters, Gianna's mom shared that there were only 2 clinical trials available for her type of cancer when they needed more options, and neither of these were available to Gianna.
Those words speak to a heartbreaking reality that too many families face, and that is why we will never stop fighting for kids like Gianna. She deserved more. She deserved to get to grow up.
