Meet ASK Kid Margot
For 22 years, the ASK 5K & Fun Walk has brought our community together to step up for kids like five-year-old Margot, the big sister with the big yellow boots.
At 11 months old, Margot’s mom, Kathryn, began noticing that something wasn’t right with her. After months of testing and an initial misdiagnosis, a new doctor took a closer look. In January 2024, Margot was diagnosed with neuroblastoma.
Margot and her little sister Laurel Margot in the hospital Margot in the hospital
From the start, her parents helped her understand what was happening. At home, they played “doctor” with baby dolls and used them to explain pokes, tests and treatments. Margot and her little sister, Laurel, still play doctor together, too. They pretend to give each other shots, even giving them where Margot’s port used to be. Margot knows her doctors by name and can tell you all about her chemo journey. She is proud to be part of her own care.
When Margot’s frequent hospital appointments began, she started wearing her yellow boots because they were easy to pull on and off. From nurses and family members to friendly strangers, everyone commented when they saw her. “Here comes yellow boots again!” they’d say. Soon, they became a special part of Margot’s routine. Kathryn said with a smile, “She has to wear them for this MRI. We don’t want to jinx it!”
The yellow boots seemed to show up in some unexpected places, too. When Kathryn was pregnant with Laurel, the family received a book about becoming a big sister. Inside, the little girl in the illustrations was wearing yellow boots, too. But Margot’s journey had started before the boots became a special part of her family’s story.
Over time, the color yellow has taken on a whole new meaning for Margot’s family. “I don’t think I ever gave it too much thought before,” Kathryn said. “But now yellow is our go-to color. It’s just so cheerful!”
This spring, that cheerful spirit will infuse the ASK 5K & Fun Walk as The Yellow Boots Crew will join the event for the third time!
In 2024, Kathryn’s coworkers created a team to raise awareness about Margot’s diagnosis. The family missed the Walk that year because they were headed to Manhattan for Margot’s resection surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where doctors worked to safely remove as much of her tumor as possible. Kathryn shared that ASK’s support with non-medical bills helped make that trip possible. Slipping on their signature boots, The Yellow Boots Crew has been on the ground running and walking at the ASK 5K & Fun Walk for the past three years raising over $11,500 to help families like theirs in need.
Yellow Boots Crew sign at CHoR Margot at Night at the Diamond
Throughout Margot’s journey, ASK has been there for her family, too. They are grateful for assistance with non-medical bills and for the guidance and kindness of the ASK staff, including Program Director and social worker Kim, Child Life Specialist Katie, and Education Support Navigator Jon. They’re especially grateful for community and connection events like the ASK 5K & Fun Walk and ASK Night at the Diamond, now CarMax Park, where they’ve met other families who understand their journey.
“We have the support for the long haul. No matter what phase of life,” Kathryn shared. She continued, “ASK is like a unicorn of an organization, made up of some of the nicest people you probably never expected to meet in your entire life, but now you can’t imagine life without them.”
As The Yellow Boots Crew gets ready for its third year supporting the ASK 5K & Fun Walk, Kathryn wants to get her girls even more involved and keep spreading a little cheer every step of the way in their yellow boots.
Margot with mom, dad, and little sister at the ASK 5K & Fun Walk Yellow Boots Crew at the ASK 5K & Fun Walk Margot with mom, dad, and little sister at the ASK 5K & Fun Walk
Every step and every donation helps make life better for children with cancer and their families in Virginia. Join Margot and The Yellow Boots Crew at askwalk.org and help support kids like her.
