Saige Cannady
Saige Cannady was born on July 10, 2015 to her adoring mom, Ashley and then eventually became the best big sister to her little siblings, Siyan and Zay. Saige likes to keep moving by swimming and dancing. She is always quick to tell a joke and is known as quite the prankster in her family. She loves to spend time crafting and praying and adores unicorns and mermaids. She is an incredible artist and loves to make others smile with her beautiful drawings and illustrations. Saige is very passionate about her family and loves her little brother and sister. Her favorite things to eat are hibachi, spaghetti, shrimp and broccoli. Yes... broccoli! Her best family trips have been to the Dr. Seuss Experience, the escape room and Sesame Place. Saige's mom describes her as resilient and despite the incredible challenges she is facing, she always has the sweetest spirit and is pleasant to everyone around her.
Leading up to Saige's diagnosis, her mom started to notice some unusual symptoms. The first thing she noticed was that Saige's right eye was deviating from her left eye and she had an unusual under arm odor. Definitely things that were outside of the norm. A few weeks later her mom noticed some slight shaking with physical activity. Her mom took her in to the doctor for evaluation and she was diagnosed with tremors. While concerning, it seemed like something that was manageable. However, her symptoms persisted and on June 10th 2022 her family found out that she had a large right thalamic tumor which was confirmed after surgery. A diagnosis of DMG was not something they ever could have imagined and something they had never even heard of prior to that fateful day.
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Saige has been through an incredibly challenging journey that includes frequent trips from Maryland into Washington D.C. for appointments. Yet through her journey, her sweet spirit and kind heart has never wavered and continues to amaze her family as she chooses positivity and joy each day. Saige's absolute favorite song, Fight Song by Rachel Platten sums up her strength and her courage so perfectly. Her mom has expressed such gratitude to their village that supports their entire family as they walk alongside Saige and she is inspired to share their family's story to bring awareness and support other families going through this difficult battle. She shares to give them hope even when doctors and other medical professionals might tell them otherwise.
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Saige has the spirit of a warrior with the heart of an artist and the Archer Foundation is proud to walk beside this family as they face each day with unshakable faith and hope. ​​
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Diagnosis
