We are the Passmore family, and we are asking for your continued love and support for our sweet niece, Kelly a recent 5-year-old who has already beaten incredible odds after emergency spinal cord surgery and relearning how to walk, and is now bravely facing an extremely rare and aggressive childhood cancer called Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma sarcoma, confirmed by the rare HEY1–NCOA2 gene fusion.
Kelly is bright, spunky, fiercely independent, and full of determination. Over the past year, she has overcome more than most people face in a lifetime.
After weeks of ER visits, hospital stays, countless scans, multiple negative cancer tests, and even a bone marrow biopsy, Kelly suddenly lost all lower body movement along with bladder and bowel function. She was rushed into emergency spinal cord surgery on October 25, where doctors found a mass compressing her spinal cord.
From there, she fought forward through 9 long weeks of inpatient rehabilitation. She came home just in time for Christmas. Since then, she has gone from toe wiggles to walking short strides independently, climbing steps, and even swinging again!!
After three inconclusive pathology reports and months of waiting, advanced testing finally identified the remaining tumor as Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma an exceptionally rare soft-tissue sarcoma in children, especially in the location of Kelly’s tumor.
Kelly’s cancer journey is uniquely complex. In addition to this rare diagnosis, she also battles hereditary spherocytosis, along with limited lower body mobility and neurogenic bladder and bowel complications from the spinal cord tumor that still remains. These challenges have already led to additional hospital days, lab work, transfusions, and close monitoring during treatment.
Her plan includes a full year of intensive chemotherapy and radiation. She will be admitted for week-long chemotherapy stays each month and travel to Orlando twice a week for infusion lab work. The hospital is two hours from their home in Palm City, with tolls each way.
Paula will be taking unpaid FMLA leave to stay by Kelly’s side while Eric continues working to support their family. They are doing everything they can to keep life as normal and steady as possible for their three daughters — Danielle (8), Dot (7), and Kelly (5).
We are deeply grateful for the love and support already shown. But as this journey continues down a road no parent ever expects, the need for help continues as well.
If you are able to give, share, or pray, we are truly thankful. Every bit of support helps ease the burden of travel, medical expenses, and time away from work so this family can focus on what matters most — Kelly’s healing.
Kelly has already proven she is a fighter. And we believe she will continue to defy the odds. Thank you for standing with Kelly and the Rogers family!
