We support families with children battling cancer
Sophie's Friends provides resources, financial assistance, and community support to families affected by childhood cancer.
Our Journey, and Our Commitment to Families
Hi there, we're the Skiles family. We established Sophie's Friends in honor of our daughter Sophie, who passed away from cancer at the age of two in 2018. Our mission is to support families with children battling cancer by offering financial aid and essential resources. We aim to ease the burdens that we ourselves once carried, and provide hope and encouragement to those courageous families in their deepest need.
A Brave Little Girl Who Inspired Us All
Sophie was born on March 19, 2015. She lived for two years happily with no issues until she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoblastic Lymphoma on May 18, 2017 just after her second birthday. A softball-sized tumor was found in her chest wall, compressing her heart and airway.
Sophie earned her nickname very early on in treatment-Sophie the Brave-by charming every nurse,doctor, and really everyone she met. Her courage and strength through the worst circumstances were contagious.
Sophie’s cancer fight was grueling with her slowly losing the ability to walk, talk, sit up, eat, roll over, use her hands, control any motor function, and pretty much do anything independently. Basically, she was an infant again in a 2 and a half year old’s body fully dependent on us for everything.
Eventually, after two relapses, we decided to discontinue treatment. Sophie was too weak to handle strong chemo and the cancer was too aggressive to handle light chemo. Her body was done.
We held, loved, sang, and made memories with her for as many days that we had and then on January 4, 2018 at 2:11pm Sophie passed away.
During her short life, Sophie found joy in so many things- songs, games, Trolls, and her favorite movies and toys. She loved to dance and sing. Even in the hospital, she was known for walking and dancing her laps around the unit with her favorite songs playing. Sophie’s Friends was started to honor and remember our sweet daughter by blessing other families going through the unimaginable hardships childhood cancer can throw onto a family. We hope to bring what joy we can to others just like she did.
