Meet ASK Kid Aniyah

Meet three-year-old Aniyah, the butterfly of her family—shy in crowds but bossy and outgoing at home with Nana and big brother, Noah (age 6). She was like any other kid until foot and leg pain, along with fevers, led to a diagnosis: B-cell leukemia.

When Ashley, Aniyah’s mom, heard the word “cancer,” she says she just blanked out—“What? Cancer? Can my baby live a normal life?” Every day, Ashley saw the effects of childhood cancer on families because she worked in the clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. For Jorje, Aniyah’s dad, the first reaction was disbelief. He stayed strong in front of his family, but later, in the quiet of the hospital room, the weight of it hit him as he watched his little girl hooked to IVs.

From that frightening beginning, one thing became crystal clear: this family did not have to walk alone. Right away, they met ASK’s Child Life Specialist, Katie Barber, at the clinic in the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Child Life Specialists help children understand and cope with their experiences by using medical play and fun distractions to teach kids about what they are going through. “She asked, ‘What do you need? What can I get you?’ and hugged us,” Ashley remembers. Those questions—and ASK’s constant, quiet answering of it—changed everything.

ASK didn’t just come with donations and paperwork; we treated the whole family. ASK provided assistance and practical help like food vouchers for the VCU cafeteria on long clinic days, gas cards for endless trips, and gift cards when money was tight. We stepped in and helped fix small daily problems so that Aniyah’s family could focus on her treatment. ASK was there every step of the way to offer prayers, steady encouragement, and the simple human connection of someone who truly cares.

“They don’t make me feel like my child has cancer,” Ashley says. “They make me feel like we still have a life. The staff of ASK even answer the phone like family.”

-Ashley, ASK Kid Aniyah's mom

Today, Aniyah is small but mighty. Her treatment plan is hopeful and careful as she continues with various stages of treatment. She’s back to playing with her brother Noah, bossing her family around, singing, and talking louder than anyone else in the room. Because of treatments, Aniyah and her family are looking forward to the ASK Holiday Party this year, and soon, Aniyah will be old enough for the ASK First STEP preschool program at First Baptist Church, a preschool just for ASK kids and their siblings.

Her parents stand firm: “At the end of the day, you can overcome. We can fight it and beat it. And we know it’s ASK’s fight too.” This brave belief isn't just words; it has a special, strong symbol right in their home. Aniyah's family has a trash can with one very important job: to hold “Leukemie’s Butt” until they can finally throw it out! Even though they may not all be there at once, in their hearts, they know that Katie, Rich, ASK staff, her brother, and her mom and dad are all standing together. They are shoulder to shoulder—united and strong—making sure fear will not win.