Johnston Family Uses Son's Fight With Cancer to Help Others

A family whose 9-year-old son is battling leukemia have started a foundation called Kids Living Brave to help families with similar needs.

Carson Cooper and his oncologist, Wendy Woods-Swafford, inspired Pam and Jack Cooper to start the foundation, reports the Des Moines Register. The group aims to direct families to organizations that can help, Pam Cooper said. The charity also is dedicated to providing emotional support to families and it eventually hopes to offer financial support.

Carson’s diagnosis came in May. While he was there, he started connecting with other children.

Woods-Swafford, an oncologist at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, told the Register the Coopers noticed there was a lack of emotional and social support when they were coping with their son’s first treatment. The oncologist said it’s the small things that matter, like someone to help families pay bills and maintain normalcy in other areas.

Carson’s father, Jack Cooper, 43, told the newspaper they started thinking about other families and how they get through such a tough time. He said they had a lot of support from family and friends in the community, since they both grew up in Johnston.

The couple began to think about those who didn’t have family or friends to bring meals every night, and the ones that had to travel for treatment and had no place to stay, or couldn’t afford the gas, the newspaper said.

The “Brave baskets” offered to kids after their initial treatment includes medicine calendars; thermometers for home, bag and car; a drinking chart with stickers and colored paper; sanitary and baby wipes; a laundry bag and dryer sheets; plus sunscreen, lip balm, a pill organizer, lotion and more.

The Coopers are exploring ways they can learn about the special needs of each family. It’s been difficult, Pam Cooper told the Register, because of patient privacy laws; the couple is working with people at Blank to find ways around that so they can reach out to more families.

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Kids Living Brave

The nonprofit foundation to help families of children going through cancer treatment will have a baseball-themed fundraiser Jan. 26. 
WHAT: A “Pitcher Perfect” pitching clinic for kids with Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson is planned.
WHEN: A session for 8- to 10-year-olds is at 9 a.m.; session for 11- to 14-year-olds is at 11 a.m. 
WHERE: Grand Slam USA, 4137 120th St. in Urbandale 
TICKETS: $50 per person and limited to 60 kids in each session. Tickets can be purchased at kidslivingbrave.org.