Today we’d like to introduce you to Aimee Simons.
Hi Aimee, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a mom to four absolutely amazing kids, Drew who is 17, Payson she is 14, Sarah 11, and Eli 8. My husband is in law enforcement and I’m a registered nurse.
In 2018 our daughter Sarah became very ill, after being sent to oncology she was diagnosed with a condition that caused lymphoma. At the time, they felt it was very slow growing and not needing treatment, just monitoring. In 2021, the cancer in Sarah’s body exploded and she underwent two years of intense treatment and a clinical trial.
During this time, she became even more passionate about her desire to be in law enforcement and she recieved police patches, challenge coins, and memory from around the world. As a result, our girls became determined to pay it forward. They started sending custom care packages to other children with cancer. Sarah’s Warriors The Officer Sarah Simons Foundation became an official 501c3 Non Profit.
In September of last year our family and non profit traveled to Washington DC to attend the Childhood Cancer Caucasus, advocate for childhood cancer research and funding, meet with our politicians, and attend Curefest, a nationwide event for Childhood Cancer.
Two weeks after returning home we noticed a tumor on Sarah. She underwent immediate testing and scans, and was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. She is currently in treatment for a NRSTS Synovial Sarcoma.
Despite all this, we are extremely busy running our non profit to support childhood cancer families, advocating for safer treatments and better funding for research, and raising four very busy kids.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not. When Sarah was initially diagnosed, we lost many friends. At a time when you needed support the most, you felt so very alone. We connected with new friends in the pediatric cancer community and the isolation was something most went through. Which is really sad. It seems that when they hear about a sick child, they don’t know what to say, so they say nothing at all. Our mission is to change that to make every family know they do not fight this alone!
Another hurdle was trying to manage the home life. We have four kids. Keeping everything balanced with three other children while getting your child through cancer treatment was so hard at times. In a one year period we made the trip to Houston for treatment 72 times. It’s a 2 hour drive to get there. I was exhausted! But I also had 3 other kids at home who needed their mom too.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a Registered Nurse and loved working and taking care of the patients in my care. Currently I’m full time as a nurse and a mom taking care of Sarah. Being a RN has definitely helped in being able to care for a child with complex medical needs. My nursing has allowed me to have the knowledge to manage her very complex needs, to catch mistakes that unfortunately happen in the hospital, and to have the insight to talk with her doctors and team.
How do you define success?
Success to me, is leaving the world a better place than I found it. To be the change I wish to see. To have a legacy that helped those in need. To be a person who left an imprint of compassion and kindness to all. And to raise kids that have these same values.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sarahswarriors.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supergirlsarahsfight
