Samia Strong
Samia was born on October 17th and immediately became the center of the world to her mom Keshawna and dad Samuel. Samia is a sweet, loving, funny, and strong little girl with a personality that shines wherever she goes. She is very social, caring, and full of life. She enjoys dancing, singing, playing, and dressing up. She especially loves MAKE UP! One of the things that makes Samia truly special is how strong and determined she is. Even when things are difficult, she continues to smile, play, and enjoy life. She is brave beyond her years and has a positive spirit that inspires everyone around her. Samia loves spending time with her brothers and cousins. She loves taking trips, going swimming, going to the park, playing, dancing, and singing. She is the epitome of a girly girl and especially loves anything related to Hello Kitty, dressing up, and doing fun, girly activities.
Diagnosis
The first thing Samia's family noticed was that she was throwing up a lot and couldn’t seem to keep anything down. She was always sleepy and had a headache. All thing that were so unusual for this upbeat and active little girl. Her parents had no idea what DIPG was and had never heard of it before until their daughter received her diagnosis. Samia's hospital, Lurie Children's was so helpful with guiding Samuel and Keshawna to understand and making sure Samia was doing good. They have decided to share their brave girl's story because they want people to know the beautiful, strong, and amazing little girl behind her diagnosis. Samia is so much more than what she is going through. She is a loving, funny, happy, strong, and courageous 6-year-old who deserves the opportunity to simply be a kid and continue making memories.
They also want to share their story to bring awareness, hope, and support to other families who may be walking a similar journey. They want people to understand the importance of research, clinical trials, and continuing to fight for better treatments and more hope for children like Samia.
Most importantly, they are sharing her story because they believe in her. Keshawan says, " We believe in the power of prayer, faith, love, and hope. If sharing Samia’s journey can inspire even one family, bring awareness to her diagnosis, or help create more opportunities for children like her, then telling her story is worth it."
The Archer Foundation is proud to join Samia's family in their belief that her story has more to be written and Samia has so much for joy and love to share with the world.
