We are Misty (“Mimi”) and Fuji (“Pop Pop”) Berry, and our hearts are broken as we share that our sweet grandson, Kobe, only 4 years old, has just been diagnosed with leukemia.

Kobe is a bright, playful, and loving little boy. He lights up every room he walks into and has a smile that can melt your heart. At 4 years old, he should be spending his days laughing and playing with his sisters, Kehlani and Kaomi — not preparing to spend the next two years fighting cancer.

This journey will be long and difficult. Kobe must travel every week to the clinic in downtown Richmond for treatments that will leave him weak and fragile. The doctors have also told us he cannot climb stairs anymore, which means his mom, our daughter Kiara, has no choice but to move them out of their third-floor apartment into a ground-level one. This move is necessary for Kobe’s safety, but it also means higher rent and more financial stress.

Kiara is a single mom raising three children on her own. She is strong, but she cannot do this alone. Between Kobe’s treatments and caring for her daughters, she cannot work a full-time job. The bills don’t stop for cancer, and the weight of rent, groceries, car insurance, utilities, gas, tolls, parking, and childcare expenses could become unbearable.

As grandparents, it hurts deeply to watch our daughter overwhelmed with worry and our grandson fighting a battle no child should ever face. We wish we could take away their pain and shoulder the burden ourselves, but we cannot. That’s why we are reaching out — because we believe in the power of community, love, and prayer.

How You Can Help

Every dollar donated will go directly toward helping this family survive the next two years — keeping a safe roof over their heads, food on the table, gas in the car for hospital visits, lights on in their home, and childcare expenses covered for Kobe’s sisters during hospital visits. Most importantly, your support will give Kiara the ability to focus her energy where it belongs: by Kobe’s side, holding his hand through every treatment, every step, and every tear.

If you are unable to give, please know that your prayers and shares are just as powerful. Spreading Kobe’s story can help us reach others who can stand with him in this fight.

From the depths of our hearts, we are asking you to join Team Kobe. Together, we can give this little boy the chance to heal, to smile, and to grow up surrounded by love instead of worry.

With love and gratitude,

Misty “Mimi” & Fuji “Pop Pop” Berry