On July 21st, 2025, Ashley and Josh DeWaard were told by doctors that their 7-year-old, Darcy May DeWaard, had an aggressive tumor located on her brain stem that was causing the influx of neurological and physical symptoms that had sent them to St. Louis Children’s Hospital on July 19th.

Darcy’s tumor is aggressive and affects her ability to walk, talk, process, and her body’s vital functions to connect to the brain. There are many unknowns, but they have immediate needs that the community can help with to make this time with Darcy more comfortable.

Ashley is a kindergarten teacher at Ozark Elementary, and with the school year starting soon, we believe she will need to take significant time off work for the foreseeable future. Josh owns his own HVAC and service company, and as you can imagine, his ability to produce income to support their basic needs, expenses, and added expenses incurred from Darcy’s medical needs will continue to grow over the next few months.

All proceeds from this fund will go directly to the DeWaard’s living expenses, travel expenses, and medical expenses.