05/17/2026
I’ve been asked several times why I choose Ronald McDonald House Charities for TON OF LIFTS, so I thought I’d finally share the story behind it.
I choose this charity because of a little boy named Steven.
I met Steven in 2017 while going through my first round of radiation therapy in Kansas City. His family was staying through Ronald McDonald House Charities so they could remain close to KU Med while he was receiving treatment. That charity gave them something incredibly important during a hard season… a little bit of normalcy, relief, and more time together as a family.
Steven became a light for me during one of the darkest times in my life.
He was always smiling, cracking jokes, and pulling pranks on the nurses. One day I noticed he was wearing lifting wrist wraps and asked him, “You know those are lifting wrist wraps, right?”
He said:
“Yes! Everyone always wears those rubber bands and I think these are way cooler. Plus they remind me I’m strong… and someday I’ll actually get to use them. When I get better, I’m gonna go to the gym, get stronger, lift weights, and maybe do parkour stuff too.”
That conversation stayed with me.
In 2021 when my cancer returned and I had to go through treatment again, selfishly, part of me hoped I’d see Steven there again because he helped me through the first time. He was still there. Still smiling. Still bringing light into rooms.
Steven didn’t make it to his 10th birthday.
But because of Ronald McDonald House Charities, his family got more time together. They got to stay close to him. They got moments they otherwise may not have had.
Steven taught me something I’ll carry forever:
Strength is relative. And strength is a choice.
I hope when you hear his story, you remember it the next time you tell yourself:
“I’m not strong enough.”
Because strength doesn’t always look like big muscles, trophies, or perfect circumstances.
Sometimes strength looks like a little boy wearing lifting wrist wraps in a hospital hallway, choosing to smile anyway.
Back in 2021, when I first shared about Steven, I received a lot of negative comments about the photo I posted of us together. Comments about masks, distance, and things people didn’t fully understand at the time. I let those comments dim my light and I stopped sharing his story the way I should have.
I regret that.
So here I am now, sharing his light anyway.
Sharing his strength.
Sharing why this charity matters to me.
And hoping you’ll help support a cause that gives families like Steven’s a little more time together. ❤️
