In Khloé‘s memory: Grieving Shiloh mom makes comforting kids with cancer her mission

Kelly Greenwood is a mom on a mission to honor her late daughter through outreach and advocacy efforts.

Khloé Sanaá Tucker died on Aug. 30, 2022, at age 11, from choriocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer.

On what would have been her 12th birthday, Shiloh proclaimed April 20 as Khloé Kares Day. Last week was an emotional yet productive week for Greenwood as she honored the memory of her daughter through her Khloé Kares Foundation.

Greenwood established the foundation I Kare, We Kare, Khloé Kares in her daughter’s honor, and delivered eight Khloé Kare tote bags on April 17 for pediatric oncology patients ages 4 to 14 undergoing chemotherapy treatment at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

“It was an honor and privilege to deliver these totes the week of her 12th birthday. They were filled with all the things that my beloved daughter enjoyed while an in-patient receiving treatment and undergoing various procedures,” she said.

The tote bags included Pop Its, Slime, fidget spinners, dolls, trucks, coloring books, crayons, coloring pencils and board games. And a $20 gas gift card to assist each family with travel.

They hope to expand the gifts up to age 18 and have been working with the Siteman Kids social workers on future plans.

“I’m still just beginning this foundation in memory of my daughter and learning as I go,” Greenwood said.

More than 200,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. To date, there are more than 12 types of pediatric cancers, with 100 subtypes, and only six FDA-approved drugs being used for treatment, according to the American Childhood Cancer Organization.

When Khloé was 8 years old, she complained of her stomach hurting. Her mother knew it wasn’t a flu bug, as first thought. After a blood test revealed abnormal white blood cells, an ultrasound discovered a tumor.

That began a three-year battle.

“It just kept coming back. She relapsed three-four times, and then it metastasized to her liver and lungs,” Greenwood said. “She was 11, she wanted to live. She was a sweet little girl.”

Khloé attended Shiloh Elementary and Middle schools. Greenwood is a reading teacher in the early childhood education department in East St. Louis School District 189. She has an older daughter, Kaylee Jackson, who is 19 and in college in Virginia. She and Khloé’s father are divorced.

“It’s my mission, and my family’s mission to provide compassionate and supportive services to pediatric cancer patients and their families,” she said. “We need to ensure there are more effective treatments and eventually a cure available for all children battling cancer. What can you do? Donate, research, and advocate so we can help heal our children.”

Greenwood described her youngest daughter as a “kind, loving, respectful, studious and beautiful child.”

“It was so painful because as a mom, we think it’s up to us to fix things,” she said. “When they gave her six months to live, I didn’t believe it. She wanted to play soccer. She had a lot of heart. No parent should lose a child to cancer.”

Although it’s in the early stages, Greenwood said she would like to organize a Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk/Rally for September.

She has received support from her church New Life in Christ Interdenominational Church in O’Fallon and its lifegroups, plus her sorority sisters, family, friends and community members.

“My prayer and goal is to continue bringing awareness to childhood cancer and support children and their families affected by this horrible disease during their battle,” she said. “We were so thankful to have the love and support of so many and I’m eternally grateful Khloé would be so proud.”

For more information, visit their Facebook page: facebook.com/khloekaresfoundation and Instagram: @khloekaresfoundation. Donations can be sent to Cash App: $KhloeKares11

This story was originally published April 27, 2023 at 6:00 AM.