Ava Ruth Johnson is only 17 months old, but in that short time, she has already filled her family’s world with a kind of joy that most people spend a lifetime searching for. She loves the simple, beautiful things—yellow flowers clutched in her tiny hands, the feeling of grass beneath her feet, the sound of laughter as she chases after her big brother, Colter. To him, she isn’t just a little sister—she’s his best friend, his shadow, his sunshine. And to her parents, Jalen and Jake, Ava is everything.

Just days ago, their world changed in an instant. Ava was diagnosed with cancer.

There are no words that can truly capture what it feels like for a parent to hear that about their child. One moment, life is filled with playtime and bedtime stories… and the next, it’s appointments, uncertainty, and a fear no family should ever have to face.

In the coming week, Ava will begin chemotherapy. Instead of mornings spent playing outside, her days will now be filled with treatments, hospital rooms, and long drives and stays at Stanford Children’s Hospital. Each trip is a reminder of the fight she’s just beginning, and the strength she will need at such a tender age.

Jalen and Jake have made the only choice loving parents can make—they are stepping away from work to be by Ava’s side every step of the way. To hold her hand through treatments. To comfort her on the hardest days. To be there for Colter, who is trying to understand why his baby sister is hurting.

But love, as powerful as it is, cannot carry this burden alone. The financial strain of lost income, mounting medical expenses, travel, and daily life is overwhelming—on top of the emotional weight they are already carrying.

This is where you can come in.

Ava’s story is not just one of heartbreak—it is one of resilience, of family, and of a little girl who still lights up at the sight of yellow flowers, even in the shadow of something so heavy.

Your support will help ease the burden on Jalen and Jake so they can focus on what matters most: being there for Ava and Colter. It will help cover medical expenses, travel to and from the hospital, hotel stays, and the everyday costs of keeping their family steady during this unimaginable time.

If you are able, please consider donating. If not, sharing Ava’s story means more than you know. Because no child should have to fight cancer alone.

And no family should have to face it without a community behind them.

Let’s surround Ava with love, strength, and hope—every step of the way.

#BraveLikeAva