2026 Dempsey Challenge

Help me, help Kids Like Me!!

Hi! I’m Mackenna and I’m 13, I’m raising money for the Dempsey Center because they have helped me and my family through my mom having breast cancer.

When my mom was diagnosed, everything changed. I watched her go through surgeries, chemo, radiation and a lot of really hard days. Even though I wasn’t the one with cancer, it affected me a lot too. It can be really scary having a parent with cancer, and sometimes it’s hard to explain how you feel to people who haven’t been through it.

In 2025, I got to go to the Dempsey Center’s Camp Space to Breathe, a camp for kids who have been affected by cancer. I met other kids who actually understood what I was going through because they were going through similar things with someone they love. I got so much support there, and being around kids like me really helped me understand and process everything that was happening in my life.

The best part is that my mom didn’t have to pay anything for me to go. With everything else she already had to worry about while going through cancer treatment, having this experience provided to me for free was such a blessing for our family.

That’s why I want to raise money for the Dempsey Center. I want other kids with a parent or family member with cancer to have the same kind of support I had and to know they aren’t the only kid going through it.

Thank you so much for donating to my fundraiser and helping kids and families like mine!

My Mom’s breast cancer journey