5-year old Mesa cancer warrior, sister to walk runway for Children’s Cancer Network Gala

The O’Brien family in Mesa has gone through an exhausting ordeal in the last six months. Back in September, their 5-year-old son Parker was struggling to breathe and had a high heart rate.

After his parents Riley O’Brien and Josh O’Brien took him into the hospital, the family learned the frightening truth.

Parker had a 10-centimeter tumor lodged onto his lung close to his trachea. He was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma, a type of cancer.

“We started chemo four or five hours after his diagnosis. We didn’t really have time to take a second and process it,” Riley O’Brien said. “The first couple months were really hard. The initial diagnosis had everyone kind of confused...Parker didn’t understand why he was there, because he didn’t physically feel sick.”

Six months later, the chemotherapy treatment has been effective.

O’Brien said Parker’s tumor has shrunk from 10 centimeters to 4 centimeters as recently as January.

But to get through the process, O’Brien got help from Children’s Cancer Network, a Chandler-based nonprofit that provides support, resources and a safe space for families with children battling cancer. The organization provides various resources from essential supplies to a play center for kids with cancer to safely play in.

O’Brien first encountered CCN at the hospital, where she was given a goodie bag full of essential items.

“They gave us a blue backpack and inside it was essentials like a gas card, pill cutter, foods, all sorts of different things,” O’Brien said. “It was leading into the holidays, and I signed up for an online questionnaire. They contacted me within a day and asked if there was anything they could do for our family. I told them I didn’t know how I was going to navigate this as a mom during the holidays. A couple of weeks go by, and we find out that our family was nominated for their Christmas adoption.”

O’Brien said she made a wish list of specific items, and her family ended up getting more than they wished for during Christmas, thanks to CCN. That brought a lot of joy to the O’Brien family.

“All they do is try to make kids kids again through the unimaginable,” O’Brien said.

Whether it be babysitting their children so the O’Briens can have a date night, or connecting the family to other families facing similar battles, CCN has been an essential aspect of Parker’s cancer battle and has kept spirits high for the O’Brien family over the last six months.

On March 22, Parker and his 3 1/2 year-old sister Blakelee are going to get a special treat when they both walk the runway with other child cancer warriors at the 22nd annual Inspirations Gala, Auction and Dinner in Scottsdale.

The gala is an annual event held by CCN that features a fashion show, live music, auction and more, with all proceeds going to programs and services at CCN. The fashion show will see kids modeling new clothes donated by Macy’s and Scheels that the kids get to pick out and keep for themselves.

“It’s a nice opportunity for families to meet other families while picking up clothes at Macy’s and Scheels and they get to keep the clothes which is wonderful,” said CCN co-founder and Executive Director Patti Luttrell. “But it’s also an opportunity for those kids to build their self-esteem by being on the stage and having 400 people cheering for them and showing their love and support. It’s a lovely opportunity for them to feel loved and connect with the community.”

The gala’s auction features a variety of enticing and valuable items to bid on, all in the name of a good cause.

“We have everything from high-end jewelry and rockstar memorabilia. For example, we have a autographed platinum record from Bon Jovi,” Luttrell said. “We are also auctioning off restaurant cards and staycations, family events, date nights and more,”

Riley O’Brien said this gala means a lot for Parker and his sister, especially after everything that the family has gone through during the past six months.

O’Brien said that she knows other families participating in the event feel the same way.

“I know another family that is part of it that gets to have the best night and walk the runway and have everyone cheering for them because they deserve that. They all deserve to be cheered for,” O’Brien said. “Parker is going through the unimaginable and his sister is going through it and watching his pain. She saw him have hair one day and no hair the next day. I think it’s so deserving for both kids to be a part of the gala.”

The gala will take place 5:30-9:30 p.m. March 22 at the J.W. Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Resort, 6302 E. Camelback Road in Scottsdale. To buy tickets, which start at $250, visit https://e.givesmart.com/events/GBR/.

To learn more about CCN, visit https://childrenscancernetwork.org/.