Marloe Rain was a little girl whose very presence could brighten the darkest of rooms. She had the most striking blue eyes—so big and full of curiosity—that people often found themselves captivated from the very first glance.
Her laughter was like music, a contagious giggle that lifted spirits wherever she went. For her family, she was not just a child, but a beam of sunshine that warmed every corner of their lives.
She loved simple joys. Her favorite movies were Finding Nemo and Moana, and she could watch them over and over without ever growing tired. Moana, especially, spoke to her spirit—an adventurous girl who sang, danced, and pushed through storms.
Marloe seemed to carry that same resilience. Even when life began throwing unthinkable challenges her way, she kept dancing. Through hospital stays, wires, and treatments, she would sway her little body and move her arms to her favorite songs, as if music gave her the strength to keep going.
But behind her laughter and dances, a hidden battle was growing inside her tiny frame.
For three long months, her mother, Lacey, found herself rushing her daughter to the emergency room—sometimes twice in the same week.
Marloe had been having persistent low-grade fevers, no appetite, and relentless projectile vomiting that seemed to worsen with each passing day. Something was clearly wrong, but the answers never came quickly. Each ER visit brought new tests, new waiting, and new questions without clear solutions.
Finally, one hospital visit led to an X-ray. That scan then led to a CT, and that’s when their lives changed forever. Doctors discovered a tumor—massive, at 16 centimeters—pressing against her kidney.
At first, the team believed it was a Wilms tumor, a type of kidney cancer more common in children. But after a pathology review, the devastating truth came back: Marloe had a malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney, a rare and aggressive cancer with a reputation for being difficult to treat.
By the time doctors found it, the tumor had already ruptured
. Cancer cells had spread to her lungs, making her fight even more uphill. Lacey felt her world crumble, but she also knew she had no choice but to be strong—for Marloe, for her other children, for the family that loved them so deeply.
Marloe was immediately scheduled for surgery. What was supposed to be a four-hour procedure stretched to nearly seven.
Surgeons worked tirelessly to remove the enormous tumor. They took out her left kidney, as well as six inches of her colon, fighting to give her a chance at life. When it was finally over, she came out of the operating room still fighting.
Her post-surgery journey was grueling. As follow-up, Marloe endured one round of VDC chemotherapy and then 11 rounds of radiation. The radiation left her colon painfully sensitive, which created extra complications for her recovery.
But her spirit? Still glowing. Even in pain, even in exhaustion, she would try to move her little body to a beat when music played.
The treatments continued. She rotated between VDC and ICE chemotherapy, and doctors harvested her cells for future use. There were setbacks—many of them. She was hospitalized multiple times with typhlitis, a painful inflammation of the intestine.
She had to use a feeding tube for months, with a bridle to help her endure her frequent and aggressive vomiting.
And yet, through it all, she fought.
Lacey remembers moments that highlight just how close to invincible her daughter seemed. After her surgery, Marloe had coded twice from medication complications. Twice, her little body had to be resuscitated and intubated. Yet each time, she fought her way back.
And when she finally began to wake, instead of fear or pain being her first instinct, she started doing her “famous” little dance moves—arms waving, body wiggling, eyes shining, as if reminding everyone around her that joy was still alive.
“She was handed a handful of life-threatening complications and each time she fought so hard for her life and overcame them,” Lacey said. “She was the single strongest person I know.”
But even the strongest fighters sometimes face battles too great.
Despite every effort, despite every treatment, despite every prayer whispered over her, Marloe’s body could not keep fighting. Her journey came to an end, and the world dimmed on that day.
Her siblings’ eyes—wet with tears and heavy with grief at their baby sister’s funeral—reflected the magnitude of the loss. No words could capture what they felt, and no parent should ever have to witness the heartbreak Lacey did.
And yet, in the midst of this unbearable sorrow, Lacey chose something remarkable: hope.
For her, Marloe will always be a hero. Not because she won or lost a fight against cancer, but because she showed everyone around her what it means to truly live with courage, joy, and love. Marloe’s resilience, her laughter, her dancing—even in hospital rooms—left an imprint on every nurse, every doctor, every person who ever crossed her path.
Now, Lacey shares her daughter’s story not just as a way to keep her memory alive, but as a call to action.
She wants parents to learn from her journey—to advocate fiercely for their children, to never dismiss symptoms that don’t feel right, and to push for answers when something seems wrong. She hopes Marloe’s story spreads awareness about childhood cancer, so more families can be spared the heartbreak she endured.
“I want her story and sweet face everywhere and hope she helps change so many lives by teaching others to slow down and appreciate what they have,” Lacey says. “My girl moved mountains, and I hope to do the same in honor of her.”
Lacey draws strength from organizations like Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), which provide hope, support, and funding for critical research. She dreams of a future where childhood cancer is no longer labeled a “rare disease,” where there is enough awareness and donations to fuel breakthroughs for a cure.
Until then, she carries Marloe’s light in her heart, determined to honor her by living fully, by helping others, and by never letting her story fade.
“Be strong. Be patient. Be proud. Share their story,” she urges other parents. “They matter—so much.”
Marloe’s life, though far too short, was one of laughter, dancing, and love. Her sunshine still lingers in the memories of those who knew her best. And through her story, her light continues to shine—reminding us all to find joy, to fight with courage, and to hold tightly to the ones we love.