Finding Hope in the Hardest Moments at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego
Last year, the day after Christmas, Nicole French received news no parent is ever prepared to hear. Her two-year-old son, Kannon, had cancer.
What began as what seemed like one virus after another quickly turned into something much more serious. In the weeks leading up to the holidays, Kannon had daily high fevers, sometimes reaching over 105 degrees. One day it looked like a stomach bug. The next, breathing troubles. He was seen multiple times by doctors, treated for everything from viral illness to pneumonia, but nothing helped.
Kannon’s parents tried to explain away what didn’t quite make sense. The vomiting. The lethargy. Even his growing belly. Kannon had always been a “chunky” baby lovingly nicknamed “Tubby”, so nothing felt urgent at first.
Then, on Christmas night, during bath time, everything changed.
“I felt a lump in his abdomen,” his mom recalls. “Something was protruding that shouldn’t have been there.”
The next morning, they went straight to their local hospital. Tests led to more tests, an ultrasound, then a CT scan. Soon Kannon was transferred directly to Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. There, the family received the diagnosis: Stage IV Wilms tumor, a rare kidney cancer that had spread to Kannon’s abdomen and lungs.
Nicole, mom to Kannon and a nurse at a local adult hospital, remembers those early days vividly.
“We were terrified,” she says. “In some ways my medical background helped, but it also meant I knew exactly what his diagnosis could bring. It was overwhelming.”
Fighting Back, One Step at a Time
Kannon was admitted to Rady Children’s on December 26. By the next day, he underwent surgery to place a port and have a biopsy. When the initial results came back inconclusive, his oncology team moved quickly, starting an aggressive chemotherapy regimen to cover all possible diagnoses.
“In situations like this, we act swiftly,” says Megan Paul, MD, Kannon’s hematologist/oncologist at Rady Children’s. “Our goal is always to give children the strongest possible start to treatment, even when the diagnosis is still unfolding.”
Under her leadership, the team launched Kannon’s first round of chemotherapy on New Year’s Day. Over the next 33 weeks, he endured chemotherapy, radiation, hospital stays and countless procedures, all while being surrounded by a care team that treated him like their own.
“The nurses were incredible. Mary, Curtis, Jenny, Molly,” his mom says. “All of the Child Life specialists. The volunteers. They knew him. They knew his nickname. They made him laugh. They made the hospital feel safe.”
In February, after multiple rounds of chemotherapy, Kannon underwent a complex, high-risk surgery to remove the tumor with Benjamin Keller, MD, pediatric surgeon at Rady Children’s and an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine. The procedure lasted hours and required an entire team of specialists on standby. Against all odds, the surgery was a success.
“It felt like everything that needed to go right, did,” his mom says. “It was a miracle.”
A Family’s Strength Together
Kannon’s journey didn’t just affect him. It touched his entire family.
During treatment, Kannon became a big brother, welcoming baby sister Lyric into the world. Kannon’s older brother, Syren, struggled to understand why Kannon was gone so often. Rady Children’s Child Life specialists helped bridge that gap, inviting Syren into the outpatient area so he could see his brother’s care and feel included.
“They supported our whole family, not just Kannon,” his mom says. “The team worked with us so I could stay with him as long as possible. They understood how hard it was to be separated.”
After completing chemotherapy in August, scans showed lingering spots in Kannon’s lungs. Doctors believed they might be scar tissue, but Kannon’s parents trusted their instincts and chose surgery. That decision proved lifesaving. The nodules removed in October were still active cancer.
“Listening to our gut saved his life,” his mom says. “Today, Kannon is in remission. Now three years old, he’s strong, joyful, and full of life, a reminder of just how resilient children can be.”
Giving Back, Moving Forward
While the fear never fully disappears, Kannon’s family feels deeply grateful. Their journey has inspired them to give back and support pediatric cancer research, ensuring that future children and families have even more hope. Events like Celebration of Champions feels like a natural space to share hope.
“We feel empowered,” his mom says. “We have a team that listens, educates and advocates and that makes all the difference. Sharing our story helps other families feel less alone. And if it helps even one child, it’s worth it.”
Kannon’s story is one of courage, compassion and life-saving care made possible through champions, doctors, nurses, donors and families, who believe every child deserves a fighting chance.
