Kimberly Alyssa Nicole Dixon

Kim’s story began in June of 2018 when she began experiencing back pain.  At first, Kim and her family figured she pulled a muscle from playing, but as time went on, it continued to get worse. The doctor had her see a neurosurgeon who seemed to think she had an issue with piriformis syndrome and recommended scheduling a follow-up appointment. However, on July 6, 2018, she completely lost her ability to walk and was immediately brought to the emergency room. After being admitted to the hospital and having many scans done, doctors discovered tumors covering her back and hips. The doctors conducted biopsies which were then sent to St. Judes for diagnosis. After spending a couple of weeks in the hospital, Kim was finally released to enjoy the comfort of her home while they waited for results. 

On July 20, two days after being sent home, Kim and her family were called in to discuss the findings. This is when they were told the shattering news that she had stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma at the age of 14, a type of cancer that has no cure and a 40-50% chance of surviving a 5-year period. Even through the devastating realization, her family remained hopeful. She was immediately re-hospitalized in order to begin chemotherapy.

The beginning of 2019 started off great as Kim began showing amazing results from the treatments and started to feel like herself again, living a life as a normal teenager. Doctors were conducting scans every 3 months to monitor the cancer in order to stay on top of it. She continued living life outside of the hospital –– being homeschooled due to her immune system. She was able to enjoy her Make-A-Wish trip to Honolulu, Hawaii. During this vacation, Kim received a call she was hoping to never receive. The cancer had resurfaced but this time, in the tail of her pancreas.

When they got back home, they were told about a radiation called cyberknife, in which they could target that specific area of the pancreas. At first, they believed it had worked but when they went to their follow up appointment, they received heartbreaking news. The cancer was back in her pancreas, the tail of her pancreas, the lymph nodes of her abdomen, the lymph nodes in her chest, as well as still in her bones. This time, there was nothing they could do. Kim and her family began living day by day, hoping for a miracle, but Kim’s health started degrading fast. They were hoping she would bounce back as she had in the past, but this time was different. Kim’s parents lost their sweet girl at 10:30 p.m. on March 8, 2020.

A note from Kim’s mom, Tracy:

Kim was free-spirited and had so many interests in life. She loved photography and interior decorating. We bought her a beginner’s photographer camera so she could start out slow and work her way up to be a professional and she absolutely loved helping decorate the house or redecorate it. She was so amazing as if it just came naturally to her. The doctors she had while going through cancer meant so much to her and had inspired her to the point, she wanted to be a Pediatric Oncologist and help other kids who were in the same situation as her. She had a plan of being a part-time photographer/interior designer while in college so she didn’t have to have a full-time job that could distract her since her mommy and daddy were willing to support her all through college.

 No matter how hard times got or how sick she was, she kept a smile on her face and made sure she put everyone before herself. She was so full of love and life and would do anything she could to help everyone else even if it meant wearing herself out to where she could hardly move. Even in her final days, she was scared but more scared of how her mommy and daddy were going to be without her. She was the most precious teenager that I have ever met and the fact she was still putting us and everyone else first while on her deathbed just goes to show how much of a good heart and soul she had.

There is so much that I loved about her and it’s hard to narrow it down. I would have to say it was that big heart and soul that she had because she was always so happy, free-spirited, and full of life. She may have been my daughter, but she was also my best friend. She was way wiser than her age and I could talk to her about anything and she would always know the right thing to say. We did so much together, and it was almost impossible to see me without her. Everything we did together I cherished. When I lost her, I lost a big part of my heart and soul with her.

Kim left an impact on everyone she was around because she was always smiling and trying to cheer everyone else up and would do anything in the world for anyone. She never believed in talking bad about another or doing anything wrong with another. She was so rare for a teenager and just didn’t stand for any nonsense. Everyone had seen how much she went through and how hard she kept fighting. But even in the midst of all that, she was there for others, always laughing and smiling. She became such a great inspiration and motivation to everyone around her as well as those who heard her story.