Cora is just like any other typical 7-year-old girl. She loves Barbies, reading, and playing in the water. But Cora has an extra special kind of strength. When she was two and a half, she was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF) and has courageously faced countless challenges ever since.
Although her diagnosis came at a young age, Cora didn’t begin experiencing complications from NF for a couple of years. What started as back pain in 2023 quickly turned into a health crisis a few months later. Cora was just five years old, but the pain became so severe that it was difficult for her to play and simply be a kid.
At first, doctors thought she had a neurofibroma on her spine, which is typically very treatable. Instead, they discovered three unexpected and unexplained tumors. Cora’s mom, Mary, was shocked, but immediately began working with doctors to determine the best path forward for her daughter.
Cora underwent a laminectomy to diagnose the tumors, but when testing failed to reveal a clear answer, doctors had to make their best guess on a medication to treat them. For a while, it seemed hopeful, but nine months later, Cora’s condition began to decline again. It was clear the medication had failed.
She had a second laminectomy, during which surgeons removed one of the tumors and immediately started a new treatment designed to quickly show whether it was working. The treatment stabilized one tumor, but the other kept growing. The doctors decided it needed to be surgically removed.
The surgery successfully removed the tumor, but it came with an unexpected and life-changing outcome: to everyone’s surprise (including her surgeon), Cora lost all sensation from the waist down.
After surgery, Cora faced a whole new set of challenges. She could no longer walk and had to rely on a wheelchair. Everyday routines suddenly required new equipment and adjustments. Even bath time became difficult.
“She didn’t want to feel vulnerable and lie back in the bath,” Mary said. “She wanted to sit up and play with her bath toys in the water, like any kid.”
Through a financial coordinator at the hospital, Mary was connected with the Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation. The foundation stepped in to purchase a shower chair for Cora, allowing her to sit up safely during bath time and play with her toys again.
Getting a shower chair meant more to Cora’s family than simply receiving a piece of medical equipment. It brought a sense of normalcy back to an everyday routine and made bath time less stressful for both Cora and her mom. It also eased the financial strain on their family.
“2025 was another challenging year for us financially,” Mary said. “Every little bit helps. Not having to pay for the chair—that’s money I can put toward her other medical expenses.”
For many families facing complex medical challenges, having even one need taken care of can make all the difference. That’s why support from the community is so critical to the foundation’s mission.
Mary, for one, is deeply grateful.
“Your contributions are important and meaningful, and they make a big difference,” she said. “In the scope of our medical expenses, this chair was not a big expense by any means, but it was a really big gift just to have it taken care of. This shower chair is so much more than a shower chair.”
While Cora still faces daily challenges, she’s doing well. She’s currently waiting to bring home a service dog and has happily returned to the water, where she can move, play, and feel like herself again—just like any kid should.