An Under the Sea Gratitude Party

From being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer to celebrating her fourth birthday, McKenna is grateful for wonderful friends, family, and her Sugar Angel.

McKenna and her family were beyond grateful for the support of those around them as McKenna battled cancer at the very young age of 3 years old. After undergoing multiple surgeries and seven months of chemotherapy, it was time to celebrate life with a party fit for a mermaid!

Life Isn’t the Bubbles

For little McKenna, her first years of life were just like any other’s, but then on Dec. 28, 2018, her world turned upside down. Diagnosed with a stage 4 Wilm’s tumor, her family faced a difficult journey. This cancer of the kidneys affects children typically at the tender age of 3 or 4. 

Although most children with a Wilm’s tumor have the cancer localized in the kidneys, doctors discovered that the tumor had traveled to McKenna’s heart. She had open-heart surgery, her right kidney removed, and part of her liver resectioned as well.

Part of that World

Surgery and recovery were difficult and McKenna, and her parents were forced to stay at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia while their three older children stayed with family. Grateful for a successful surgery, McKenna then underwent seven months of chemotherapy and radiation — no easy task for anyone, but particularly hard on a 3-year-old girl. 

Gratefully, the chemotherapy and radiation were also effective, and McKenna was considered in remission. She will continue to need scans every three months, but she no longer spends as much time apart of the hospital world.

Where the People Are

McKenna was never alone on her journey and was blessed by the support of her family, friends, and a wonderful Sugar Angel who created a stunning Little Mermaid-inspired cake for her Under the Sea gratitude party. 

McKenna’s mother, Carrie, describes the cake.

“It was an incredible cake. Beyond beautiful.”

Surviving surgery and cancer is no easy feat, and McKenna and her family continue to live in gratitude for the help of others and the continuing research that goes into improving cancer treatments and medicine. Celebratory cakes are a sweet form of medicine. Click the link below to find out how you can Create a Smile by producing a cake as a Sugar Angel.