“Daddy, play!” Seeing His Energetic Girl Again

Program Impact

·Sep 29th, 2026

All three-year-old Andi wanted was to run around, play outside, garden and build LEGO with her dad. She was full of energy, that is, until she started chemo.

Andi's experienced more than most kids. Since before she could walk, medical care has shaped her life. Born with laryngomalacia, a condition that narrowed her airway, required three surgeries. Devastatingly, after Andi's third surgery, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that forms in skeletal muscle tissue. She began a taxing 40-week chemotherapy regimen.

At the same time, her dad Matthew had just gone through chemotherapy. He was diagnosed with cancer shortly before Andi was. Watching his daughter on the arduous journey he experienced was the last thing he ever wanted to see.

Still, sparks of happiness brought Andi and Matthew comfort on days they needed it most.

“I know what chemo feels like inside your body. It feels like your body's tearing apart from the inside. And then seeing my child going through the same exact thing I went through was very difficult.”
- Matthew, Andi's Dad

A Spark of Fun, A Return to Play

Chemo days were hard.

Most days, Andi was crying whenever medical staff tried to access her port. Matthew had to hold her to reassure her that she was safe.

One visit, Andi noticed something out of the corner of her eye – an unoccupied Starlight Gaming Station.

“Daddy, play! Daddy, play!,” she started to chant.

Matthew couldn't deny her excited request. They started to play Mario Kart, and Andi was filled with happiness. She didn’t think about her port being accessed or treatment – she was just having fun with her dad. Matthew recalls, “It was like she transformed into a different child when she got to play the game.” He got a glimpse of his energetic, playful girl again.

Andi was so at ease that Matthew made sure they had a Starlight Gaming Station for her future appointments. It was something Andi looked forward to. “I love the peace and tranquility that the gaming station helps provide for her," Matthew says. She got the support she needed to get through treatment.

Seeing Andi feel like a kid first and patient second was everything. “All we wanted was for her to have normal childhood experiences, like playing a video game,” shares Matthew.

In some ways, Matthew got to have a normal parent experience too. His life long dream was to enjoy Nintendo with his child, just like he did when he was younger.

When life felt upside down, their family gained a sense of home and happiness.

Andi Closing Block — Andi smiling with joy.

Simple Joys that Support Healing

Andi was once hospitalized for RSV. She was isolated and couldn’t leave her bed for weeks at a time. She didn’t want to sit up, making it hard for her to eat or drink. She needed to do both for her treatment to be effective.

Knowing she loved to build, the Child Life staff brought her a LEGO® set from the Starlight Toy Delivery program. Andi's cheeks flushed with excitement.

Rather than staying in bed, she wanted to sit up to play with Matthew, just like they did at home. She felt more like eating, helping her treatment work.

Andi's happiness was just what Matthew needed. “I saw the smile that we’ve been trying to find, you know? We wanted to smile and see her happy. It worked,” he reminisces.

The simple joy of building with LEGO bricks supported Andi’s healing. For many kids, a familiar character or toy motivates them to comply with treatment and get the rest they need. Sometimes, familiar toys remind them they’re not alone.

“She Looks Like Me!”

Many kids lose their hair during chemo. Losing something tied to their identity is difficult. Still, special toys can comfort them, like the Brave Barbie did for Andi.

Through the Starlight Families program, Andi received a Brave Barbie donated by Mattel - a doll without hair. “This doll looks like me, but she’s also a girl,” Andi said with delight.

The Barbie gave her a sense of normalcy, showing her that she wasn't alone.

“I liked her seeing that losing your hair is normal. She’s just as much a girl as everybody else.”
- Matthew, Andi's Dad

The Happiness That Stays with Andi

Andi goes back for scans every three months. She hasn't been admitted since March, and she’s hoping to start school this fall. As Andi returns to everyday life, she still fondly loves Mario, LEGO building and her Brave Barbie doll. Those experiences in the hospital were just the support she needed to get through her hardest moments.

When you donate to Starlight, you give families navigating childhood cancer grounding moments of normalcy.

Though life feels upside down, happiness gives them hope to persevere.