A kid on a mission
Walker Beery was a kid on a mission. At the age of seven, Walker was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. Over the next two years, Walker went to battle, but he wasn't just fighting for himself, he chose to fight for all kids who were also handed a cancer diagnosis.
Dancing down the halls of the hospital, Walker approached each treatment and appointment with a smile and loved to interact with other kids walking similar journeys. It was after a short encounter with a little girl who gave Walker the simple gift of a teddy bear, that Walker decided he could do something to make a difference for other kids just like him. "The nose burn" is how Walker described that feeling you get when something makes you cry happy tears. It's the feeling he got from the gift of the bear, and a feeling he wanted to help other kids like him to feel. It was from that experience that Walker and his little sister, Evelyn, devised a plan to start raising money for pediatric cancer research. Through their first lemonade stand fundraiser, the pair raised nearly $3,500.
Led by kids
Walker's dream grew into the non-profit, Kids Join the Fight, which in 2020, hosted fundraisers including car washes, bake sales, and even dog washes in all 50 states - all led by kids.
It is in Walker's honor and memory that Children's Hospital New Orleans, where Walker received care, and his legacy, Kids Join the Fight, have come together to build something extraordinary for kids just like him.