Meet Rylee, a 2026 ACCO Ambassador and 4-year-old ALL warrior. 
Rylee’s mother, Ashley, tells the story in an Instagram post:
“For days, I was told ‘she’s fine,’ then allergies, an infection, something minor, but I knew. I knew in my gut that something was seriously wrong. So I kept showing up and advocating for her. Urgent Care. The ER. Back to Urgent Care. Back to the ER. Each time, the list of symptoms grew…fevers, chills, body aches, a swollen eye, swollen lymph nodes, bruising, joint pain. Each time I left without answers.
On August 6th, I refused to leave without one. I demanded a blood test. That day, at 5pm, I heard the words that absolutely broke me: [your child has] leukemia. Jacob was thousands of miles away, deployed overseas which meant I got this world shattering news all alone. Within hours, she was in an ambulance to Denver.
In just the first week, she’s had a port placed. A bone marrow biopsy. A lumbar puncture (where they added chemo to her spinal fluid), three blood transfusions, two platelet transfusions and her first two-hour chemo treatment.”
In early September, Rylee was declared in remission though the road ahead remains long, with treatment continuing through October 2027. By October, she began her first Blinatumomab (Blina) treatment, carrying her medication in a tiny “superhero” backpack for 28 days straight.
Rylee is like any four-year-old. She loves riding her bike and playing with her siblings. She dresses up and hosts tea parties. When she smiles, she lights up the room. Rylee is never short on positivity and is curious, thoughtful, and deeply interested in understanding what her body is going through. In her unboxing video of ACCO’s medical play kit, she says, “Look, Mom, this is what I use. I’m really going to be Dr. Ta now!” Her excitement radiates through the video.
Ashley has one piece of advice for parents: “Trust your gut. Even if you feel like the “overreacting mom.” Even if you’re told, “it’s nothing.” Keep pushing. Keep asking. Keep showing up. Because sometimes, the fight to be heard is the fight that saves your child’s life.”
Ashley documents Rylee’s cancer journey beautifully and honestly, because, “When your child is diagnosed with cancer, you don’t get to fall apart. You show up—every single day—even when your own heart feels shattered into a million pieces.”
Follow Rylee’s journey with ALL on Instagram.
ACCO’s Medical Play Kit and many other resources are free of charge to families of children battling cancer. Register here.
Together, we can make a difference. Donate today, because kids can’t fight cancer alone!®