On August 10, 2023, Kindi was 14 years old when she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. That summer, a bump on her foot began growing alarmingly fast. After an MRI, we were sent to Primary Children’s Hospital. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

Kindi had to begin chemotherapy immediately, along with six weeks of radiation, five days a week in Salt Lake City, targeting her right foot. Her chemo regimen was intense, involving five different chemotherapy drugs. Every two weeks, she spent a full week in the hospital receiving treatment. Her total treatment lasted 10 months. Because of this, Kindi had to leave school during her freshman year and switch to online learning, missing out on her first year of high school.

After 11 cycles of chemo, countless blood and platelet transfusions, and more hospital nights than we could have imagined, Kindi finally finished treatment and reached remission in May 2024. We began to find our new normal and enjoy life again. That September, she was granted a Make-A-Wish trip to Hawaii, a much-needed time to just be a family again.

But in April 2025, we discovered a “cyst” on the same foot, in the area where her original tumor had been. It caused constant pain, made it difficult for her to wear shoes, walk comfortably, or run. Kindi made the brave decision to have it removed with what was expected to be a routine surgery.

Then, just two days before she would have celebrated one full year in remission, we got the call that shattered us: the cyst was another tumor. The cancer wasn’t gone. The radiation hadn’t killed it.

We were left with no choice but to amputate Kindi’s foot and begin a new round of chemotherapy. It was the only way to save her life. At just 16 years old, Kindi had to face a below-the-knee amputation and the reality of living with a prosthetic. It’s an unimaginable thing to ask of a teenage girl, but Kindi, with unbelievable strength, said yes to life and chose to fight again.

She had her foot removed in June and has since undergone two more surgeries. Her body has struggled to heal, delaying both her prosthetic fitting and the start of her chemo. Nearly four months later, her wound was healed enough for another round of scans and hopes of starting chemo, but then the devastating news came that the cancer has metastasized to Kindi’s lungs. There are 7 nodules. In addition to starting chemo yet again, she will need radiation to her lungs once the nodules have shrunk. We are praying chemo puts Kindi back in remission and she can go back to living life to the fullest.

Kindi now faces another 9 months of chemotherapy, with the hope of finishing by next summer. On top of that, she will need to learn to live with the daily challenges of having a prosthetic. Relearning how to walk, dealing with pain and discomfort, and adapting to a body that feels so different from before. And while she's doing everything she can to stay strong, it’s a heavy burden for anyone, let alone a 16 year old girl. Through it all, Kindi has remained the bravest girl I know. No matter what has come her way, she has faced it like the warrior she is.