In this photo provided by Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, security guard David Dean dances with McKinley Moore, Avalynn Luciano, Lauren Glynn and Chloe Grimes at the hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., Aug. 9, 2018. The girls, who were diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and became fast friends while undergoing treatment, reunite every year.
All age 7 or nearly so, the three girls were diagnosed with leukemia in 2016 and met at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, where they became fast friends. In the hospital, they sang together and played ring-around-the-rosy. They shared popsicles, and kept each other company while undergoing brutal treatment.That year, they posed for photos at the hospital in purple tutus with a fourth young cancer survivor, Chloe Grimes, and a tradition was born.
The tutus and photos were the idea of Chloe’s mom, Jacquie Grimes. She thought it would be a good way to raise awareness about childhood cancer. The hospital was happy to share their story of resilience and friendship. When the coronavirus pandemic descended, the moms realized an in-person reunion this year was out of the question, but they didn’t want to skip it. They used Zoom instead, to the delight of the tutu girls.
What a warrior mothers!! And of course a marvelous girls!! blessings!!