Belle Svoboda and her family—her mom, Sara, her dad, Mark, and her brother, Ryder—are the beneficiaries of this fundraiser. I’m honored to share Belle’s story and help support this incredible family as they navigate yet another difficult chapter in Belle’s cancer journey.

The funds raised will go directly toward helping the Svoboda family offset the many costs that come with Belle’s treatment, including medical and treatment-related expenses, daily travel to and from appointments, and the everyday financial strain of caring for a child with cancer. Donations will also help support the family while Sara is out of work and help replace lost income when Mark needs to take time away from work to be with Belle during treatment or when Belle is unable to attend school. Most importantly, this support will give the family a little breathing room so they can focus their time and energy where it belongs—with Belle.

Eight-year-old Belle has been fighting cancer since 2021—years of her childhood spent facing what no child ever should.

But if you know Belle, you know cancer is only a small part of her story.

Belle is pure sunshine. She is funny, kind, determined, endlessly optimistic and almost always smiling. She can find a little light, even on the hardest days, and her hope makes everyone around her stronger. Hope is her superpower.

When Belle was first diagnosed, what began as a lump in her left leg—initially believed to be a benign cyst—turned into a diagnosis that would change her childhood: alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer.

Since then, Belle has endured chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, hospital stays and more uncertainty than any child should have to understand.

And somehow, through all of it, she has remained unmistakably Belle.

When cancer returned in her leg, Belle underwent rotationplasty, a life-changing surgery that allowed her to be fitted with a prosthetic leg. She had to learn how to walk all over again.

So she did.

And then she learned to run.

And swim. And ski. And surf. And dance. And do gymnastics. She even walked the runway at New York Fashion Week.

Again and again, Belle has shown everyone around her that cancer may change what her life looks like, but it will never change who she is.

Then came the news no family should have to hear again.

Cancer came back in Belle’s arm in 2025, bringing more chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. And now, in 2026, another cancerous mass has been found in her abdomen.

When her family had to tell Belle that the cancer was back, her response said everything about the little girl she is:

“I think I know why it keeps coming back… because I’m so sweet.”

That is Belle.

Even in a moment that would break most adults, she found sweetness. She found a reason to smile. She found a little bit of light.

The future is uncertain, and this incredible little girl is being asked to fight yet again. Her family now faces another chapter of treatment, appointments, travel, missed work and all of the expenses that come with caring for a child with cancer.

For years, Belle and her family have carried an unimaginable weight while giving the rest of us a lesson in courage, kindness and finding joy even in the hardest moments.

Now they need their community to help carry some of that weight.

Every donation—no matter the amount—will help give Belle’s family the ability to focus on what matters most: Belle, her treatment, and keeping that beautiful smile on her face.

Belle has spent years fighting.

Now it’s our turn to fight for her.

Follow Belle’s journey on Instagram @team_belle1 for updates.