Bring Hope to Ariana's Recovery Journey

Update 7/24/25:

On July 24th, 2025, at around 9:30AM, Ariana opened both her eyes to look at us for the last time. Brightlyn, Mommy, and Daddy were all at her bedside. She looked at each of us.

I said, “Ariana, do you see Jesus?”

She shook her head yes.

Jesus is opening his arms, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

She is in heaven.

This gofundme is remaining active to help raise support for funeral arrangement expenses and to help with some of the many medical costs over the past few months.

-teamAri

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We come to you with heavy hearts and a plea for help for someone very dear to us. Nine-year-old Ariana Petersen loves Jesus, her family, acting, singing, and dancing. Ari attends First Redeemer Church in Forsyth County, Georgia where she enjoys Sunday School, Choir, AWANA, Voice Lessons, Acting Up, and Vacation Bible School. She also loves her classes at Artios Academies, a Christian performing arts school in Suwanee.

Last November 21st, Ariana was rushed to the emergency room at Atlanta’s Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital after experiencing severe headaches and vision problems. The next day she underwent five hours of surgery to remove a 3-inch brain tumor. Her family later learned it is a very rare and aggressive form of cancer, which spread to her spine. Ari spent 60 of the next 90 days at both Scottish Rite and Arthur M. Blank Children’s Hospitals. She is finally recovering at home after a total of 4 brain surgeries and 6-1/2 weeks of radiation therapy.

Ariana can walk very short distances only with help and requires a wheelchair. She uses a feeding tube for medicine and needs oxygen while sleeping. Her mom, dad, and big sister (and best friend) Brightlyn—who is 12—are providing around the clock care with the help of a home nurse. Mother Natalie homeschools her daughters, and father Berndt is a reporter at WSB-TV in Atlanta. Before moving to Georgia, the Petersen family lived in Central Florida where Natalie worked in entertainment for 15 years at the Walt Disney Company, and Berndt was with WFTV Channel 9. While living in Orlando the family were members of North Park Church.

Medical bills are now quickly coming in. We humbly and prayerfully ask for your support to help Ariana’s family provide the best possible care for her, and perhaps make a few of her dreams a reality. Thank you and God bless you.