A Battle No Family Should Face: Little River’s Fight for Life
There are moments in life that change everything in a single breath. Moments that shake the ground beneath a family’s feet, leaving them trying to hold on to strength they didn’t know they had. This is one of those moments.
It breaks our hearts to share the story of baby River, a bright, funny, deeply loved 1.5-year-old whose personality fills every room she enters. River is the kind of child who can melt anyone instantly — full of curiosity, sweetness, mischief, and that adorable sass everyone laughs about. She loves her big sister Zoey, follows her puppy Ruby everywhere, and brings sunshine into even the dullest day.
But over the past few weeks, that sunshine dimmed… and none of us knew why.
It began with subtle signs — tiny changes in her balance, moments where she seemed a little off. Then came the vomiting. Too frequent. Too sudden. Too alarming. Her family rushed her to get checked, hoping for answers… but never expecting the truth that awaited them.
An MRI revealed something no parent should ever have to hear.
Two tumors.
On their baby’s brain.
Growing. Pressuring. Threatening.
At just 1.5 years old, River was diagnosed with Medulloblastomas, aggressive brain tumors that require immediate and intense treatment. On December 4th, she underwent emergency surgery to relieve the pressure pressing against her fragile brain. And now, she is facing an 8–12 hour operation — a surgery that will determine the next chapter of her life.
Doctors prepared the family for what comes next: a long hospital stay, followed by weeks in an inpatient rehab facility where River will have to relearn basic skills — movement, coordination, the everyday abilities most toddlers are just discovering. For at least six weeks, this little girl will live in a facility dedicated to helping her recover piece by piece.
And as if fate had not already placed an unbearable weight on this family…
Her mother, Liz, had just begun her own battle. Only two weeks before River’s symptoms got worse, Liz was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer — an aggressive form requiring a grueling, six-month chemotherapy treatment. She was already fighting for her life when she learned her baby girl was fighting for hers too.
Then came another devastating truth:
River and Liz both carry Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that drastically increases the chances of developing cancer — especially at young ages.
One diagnosis is heartbreaking.
Two is unimaginable.
But this family is facing both — at the same time.
Their world has shifted into a blur of hospital rooms, emergency procedures, specialists, chemotherapy chairs, sleepless nights, and terrifying unknowns. Both parents are juggling work, travel, treatments, hospital schedules, and the emotional load that no family should ever have to bear. They are doing it all for one purpose: to keep their baby safe, strong, and fighting.
And through it all… River keeps shining.
Even in her hospital bed, she brings warmth. Even through fear, she holds onto her spark. Even wrapped in wires and monitors, she is still the same little girl whose laughter once echoed through every room.
Her journey ahead is long — surgery, recovery, rehab, chemotherapy, radiation, and ongoing monitoring. But if there is one thing this family has learned, it’s that River is a warrior. A tiny warrior with a giant heart.
And she deserves every chance to grow, heal, and live the beautiful life that awaits her.
As her story continues to unfold, we will be sharing updates — holding onto hope, praying for strength, and believing in the light that River brings to all of us.
Some stories break your heart.
Some stories inspire you.
River’s story does both.
And this is only the beginning.
