In February, 2020, we received a phone call that no parent ever wants to hear: "We think your daughter has leukemia. You have 5 minutes to pack your bags, a Flight for Life helicopter is waiting for you." Our lives changed that day forever. We had to get to Denver from Durango as fast as possible because Amara had to start treatment immediately.

We chose the Colorado Trail because it connects Durango to Denver.

Childhood cancer is NOT rare - every day in the U.S., 47 children (0-19 years old) are diagnosed with cancer, with 1 out of every 285 children being diagnosed by age 20 in the U.S. Worldwide, over 1,000 children are diagnosed each day. Less than 4% of federal cancer research funding goes towards childhood cancer research (National Cancer Institute, 2021).

Our goal is to hike the Colorado Trail to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research and its current lack of funding, and to share and spread the word. Together, we can help save lives of patients like Amara.

Today, Amara is a healthy, active teenager who is a competitive mogul skier and loves to travel, work out at the gym, recreate outside, cook healthy food, and spend time with her family, friends, and rescue dog Juna. Amara is a National Honors Society and National Honors Art Society student and is taking college courses as a senior in high school. She also is the owner of an online slime store that she started after her diagnosis to stay active and raise funds to support childhood cancer research. Amara this past winter competed in December 2024 at U.S. Selections for a second time and plans to compete in March 2025 at U.S. Nationals, the two highest levels of competition in the U.S., as one of the top 30 female athletes in the country.

Thank you for your support of the Trek for a Dream!