Everyone loves the Shoulders family. Everyone. They're steady, they're constant. They always show up for you. It's time that we show up for them. For Emilia, our Millie.

Our sassy, hilarious Emilia Jade was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on November 21st, 2023 after a standard doctor's appointment for a viral infection (COVID) called for a blood draw. Her labwork was not normal. It was critical, and Liz was called urgently by their pediatrician who advised them to present to the Saint Francis Children's Hospital for direct admission. They did, and the following day, Millie was diagnosed with leukemia at just 21 months old.

Millie will start chemotherapy in late November and we are hopeful that she will be in remission by Christmas. Her treatment course is expected to last up to 2.5 years. She will beat this. We will not be afraid.

In the meantime, the Shoulders family could use our financial support as Kyle and Liz' work lives are interrupted while they navigate the journey that is childhood cancer and financial strain. We’re not sure what the goal looks like right now. Funds can be donated here or directly to Liz via CashApp ($lizshoulders) or Venmo (rssngrl).

Please send your well wishes, good vibes, and prayers to our sweet Millie and the Shoulders family.

#milliestrong

UPDATE 12/06/2023:

Millie is now HOME and doing well. She has started chemotherapy and is receiving multiple weekly treatments. She will have another bone marrow biopsy and lumbar puncture in the coming weeks, as well as a port placement. There are many more specialist appointments in her future and while she is THRIVING, treatment for leukemia is a marathon, not a sprint, and the Shoulders family would continue to benefit from our ongoing support. Please continue sharing this post and donating if you're able to support our favorite Millie girl and her family.

UPDATE 01/09/2024:

In late December, Millie's genetic testing returned with a rare genetic marker, iAMP21, that suggests that Millie's leukemia will be more difficult to treat. Although we were hoping for an official declaration of remission in December, we received good news that Millie's blood work improved from being composed of 82% leukemic cells to just 0.8%! Due to her genetic marker and as she has not yet achieved remission status, Millie was again hospitalized with port placement for continued chemotherapy. She is doing well at home but continues to have more oncology appointments and anticipated hospitalizations as she begins more intense treatments. Although Kyle and Liz have been very fortunate to have employers that have been generous with requested time off, both Liz and Kyle have had to take unpaid time off work intermittently to help support Millie and her beloved sister, Evy, as they continue to battle through this journey. Please continue to support the Shoulders family as we fight for remission and a cure for Millie.

In other news, Liz and Kyle are excited to have partnered with a local company to develop fundraising merch that should be available soon!

UPDATE 03/15/2024:

Unfortunately, Millie underwent her second round of testing in early March and was found to not yet be in remission despite an intensified treatment regimen that required multiple oncology clinic appointments for treatments, hospital stays, scans, and biopsies.

Fortunately, Millie's oncology team has determined that she's a good candidate for CAR T-cell therapy (a more targeted form of eradicating cancerous cells) which will require a temporary relocation to Memphis, Tennessee to receive treatment at the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. They could be leaving for Memphis as soon as next week for her initial testing. Due to this radical change in treatment plan with an unexpected move and anticipated unpaid leave for both Liz and Kyle, we are increasing our fundraising goal.

We are confident and hopeful that Millie will achieve remission status after she battles her way through her third round of treatment, and are thankful for any and all support for the Shoulders family.

UPDATE 06/20/2024:

After Millie and her family relocated to Memphis, Millie began CAR T-cell therapy. She initially had no adverse effects, but ultimately developed cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, manifesting in the form of seizures. Millie was admitted to the PICU where she was intubated and sedated until her body could recover. She was then discharged to housing for only a short time before she was readmitted for physical deconditioning and inability to walk. There, she spent multiple weeks receiving intravenous pain medication and therapy until she underwent her third round of testing for remission.

Finally, after 199 days of fight, Millie was found to be CANCER FREE. We all wept with joy.

While we are so thankful that Millie and her parents are HOME with Evy, Millie's cancer journey is far from over. Millie's genetic variant puts her at high risk for relapse, and she will require continued rounds of chemotherapy with frequent trips back to St. Jude for further testing and treatments. Unfortunately, Kyle and Liz have exhausted their PTO and both have very limited FMLA benefits remaining. Please consider continuing to support the Shoulders family as Millie finishes her race -- a marathon, not a sprint. Thank you!