To celebrate Ronan's 16th Birthday, @ronanfoundation has made a generous donation to @childrensphila in conjunction with Taylor Swift's Eras Tour stop in Philadelphia. Our contribution will establish the Ronan Thompson Nurse Navigator Fund at the CHOP Cancer Center.
The Cancer Center at CHOP is renowned for its team of internationally recognized pediatric oncologists who specialize in treating all types of pediatric cancer. Every day, CHOP provides exceptional patient care, and the Nurse Navigators play a crucial role in supporting patients and their families as they navigate the complexities of cancer care. With deep knowledge of care systems, they provide unparalleled clinical and emotional support to families. By supporting the navigator program, we will be able to provide these wonderful medical professionals with the resources and protected time they need to offer extraordinary care. The Nurse Navigators are the backbone of the patient journey, spending 50% of their time helping families navigate necessary care and the remaining 50% at the patient's bedside.
As Ronan's mom, I cannot express enough how much your support means. It is a reminder that we are not alone in this journey, and that there are still good people in the world who are willing to stand with us in the face of tragedy. Thank you, from the bottom of my forever-broken heart, for your love and kindness. It will never be forgotten. I’m currently working on a post telling you why it means so much to me to establish this at @childrensphila . For Ro and all the other kids in the world of childhood cancer who deserve better. ILY. #ronansdayoflove #erastour #taylorswift @taylorswift@taylornation@theswiftsociety_ 💜💜💜
On May 12th of this year, Ronan would have turned sixteen. In honor of his birthday, we celebrate ‘Ronan’s Day of Love’ every year. This year, his birthday coincides with The Era’s Tour in Philadelphia. I am currently undecided about attending the event, but I would appreciate it if you could join us in celebrating and remembering a young boy who should still be with us.
On ‘Ronan’s Day of Love,’ we encourage you to spread kindness wherever you go. Wear purple to show your support. Be courageous. Perform a random act of kindness. Laugh louder, hug harder, and kiss longer. Do something that makes you feel wild and free. Take a walk in nature or embark on an adventure in his memory. Spread his magic wherever possible. Make some friendship bracelets and share them with others. Tag me in your posts, and I will repost all the love.
I am grateful that you have held my baby close in your hearts, allowing him to serve as a reminder of what truly matters in this life. Thank you for honoring his memory in this way. As his mom, it truly means everything to me. #ronan #fucancer #ronansdayoflove #rockstarronan #grief @taylorswift@taylornation
As 2022 comes to a close, we’d like to thank everyone who continues to support the very important work we are doing. We could not do this without our amazing community, and we are so excited about the clinical trials we will be funding in 2023. We wish you all an abundance of health, happiness, and love—cheers to the New Year as we continue to fight for better treatment options and survival rates for kids with cancer.
Part one:
I went to New York to meet up with one of my best girlfriends, and while I was there, I had a meeting regarding my book, and another meeting came about in the most serendipitous way. I fell in love with this fashion company many years ago when I was gifted one of Lingua Franca’s sweaters for Poppy from Kathryn MacLeod. I followed Lingua Franca’s Instagram, loved all that she stood for, and how she incorporates giving back to charities. I messaged the owner, Rachelle, last year asking if she wanted to collaborate with The Ronan Foundation. I never heard back, but I wasn’t surprised as I know she is inundated with requests.
Part two:
Cut to a month ago, Rachelle reached out to me via Instagram. She said she was listening to the re-release of “Red,” and Ronan’s song stopped her dead in her tracks. She then did a deep dive into who I was and the story behind the song. I told her I was coming to New York, and she asked me if we could meet and talk about possibly doing a sweater together. I walked into our meeting yesterday not knowing who or what to expect, but it was one of those moments that, in minutes of meeting Rachelle, I knew this was going to be something special. We sat and talked back and forth for an hour, getting to know each other personally and professionally. She took me to her darling factory, loaded me up with goodies, and I left there feeling like I’d made a new lifelong friend. What I thought was going to be one sweater turned into “Let’s do an entire line of things together. Let’s take this to the next level.” With all of the proceeds going back to The Ronan Foundation. We will do not just sweaters but many things at different price points.
If you have some time, check out her fantastic company. Rachelle wants to go through my blog, my book, Ronan’s song and pull simple things I may have said, which will be threaded on the clothing. If you have any favorite things you can remember me saying or favorite lyrics from “Ronan,” you love, can you comment below or message me? I would love to hear what you all would love to wear on an item. I am still in awe and in shock of the beautiful things that continually seem to happen in my life and how Ronan is the thread of it all. I can’t wait to make the most beautiful Ronan goodies for you all next year!
Another great interview with our founder @mamamaya . We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we did. Link is in bio! #ronan #ronanfoundation #fuckcancer
We hate cancer, but we love all of you. Welcome, to all of our new friends. And hello again to the ones who have been here since the beginning. We can’t wait to continue doing the most important work, thanks to your love and support. #ronan #fucancer #ronantaylorsversion #taylorswift
This is because of all of you who have donated and supported us. Grieving families now have a safe place to take their pain. Thank you for making this possible. Thank you, @dr_cacciatore_loves_chemakoh , for saving my life and the lives of so many others. Big tears today. I love you, Ro.
The Ronan Thompson Foundation is honored to announce the opening of “Ronan’s Room” at the Selah House in Page Springs, Arizona.
Ronan died May 9, 2011, from Neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer, just three days before his fourth birthday. The absence of Ronan is felt every day, in every way. We miss the abyss of his ocean blue eyes. His squeaky little voice. His tiny toes that he always loved to have painted sparkly. His rebellious, wild, and free spirit. His love for Star Wars and the color purple. The way that he loved the rain. He was our spicy little monkey and the missing puzzle piece to our family. The pain of living without him will never leave us, but we have learned to love harder because of it.
Life is fleeting. Life is precious. You never know when it could be taken away. Ronan’s life was cut much too short, and there will never be a good enough reason to justify his death. We live our lives here on this earth in his honor. He taught us to live bravely, with passion and meaning; he taught us to take our pain and make the world more beautiful because of it. We wouldn’t wish the loss of a child on anyone, but we are grateful a safe place like the Selah House exists. It has saved our lives and taught us how to acknowledge, embrace and nurture our grief.
We love you, Ronan. To the moon and back, forever and always.
Thankful to all of you ⭐️ 2020 has been a tough year for an endless number of reasons. We are trying to spread joy and kindness this holiday season to 100 families affected by childhood cancer. if you’re in the giving spirit, visit the link in bio to send a gift. 💜
