About

Ashley elizabeth montgomery

On June 4, 2001, at the age of 9, my daughter Ashley was diagnosed with cancer—ependymoma, a brain tumor. After surgery at a children’s hospital in Chicago, Ashley went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for two months, where she underwent radiation treatment.

From this diagnosis, we learned something amazing about Ashley. She was the bravest, most positive person we had ever known. At just 9 years old, she was braver than any adult and had an attitude rarely seen even in grown people. She was wise beyond her years. We also discovered that Ashley had a heart of gold. Her compassion and concern for other children fighting this disease were so powerful that you could feel it radiating from her.

When she was first diagnosed, she was given a special green scapular that was said to cure cancer if kept nearby, especially by her bedside. Ashley always had it hanging by her bed. One day, just before we were preparing to head home from Memphis, we learned that a little boy we knew was going into emergency surgery, and his chance of survival was only 10%. When Ashley heard this, she said, “Mom, we need to go to the Ronald McDonald House, get my green scapular, and bring it back for Daniel. He needs it more than I do.” And so we did.

Ashley responded to radiation better than her doctor expected, though she did experience side effects that caused her to miss a lot of school. Still, she pushed through and did well academically. For the next seven years, she traveled back and forth to St. Jude for follow-up visits. Her doctor became convinced she was cured.

Then, at her seven-year checkup at age 16, doctors discovered that the cancer had returned—this time along her spine. Her doctors were shocked. Typically, if the cancer returns, it does so within a year or two and in the same location. They were, in their own words, “flabbergasted.”

Ashley was almost 17, so we decided she was old enough to make her own decisions regarding treatment. She was wise beyond her years, and it was her body, so we agreed she would have the final say.

Ashley underwent surgery again at the same Chicago hospital. At the time, the only known cure for her cancer was radiation. Her doctor at St. Jude wanted to begin radiation immediately. However, her doctor in Chicago suggested trying a drug that had been used to prolong life in adults with brain tumors. He asked her to take it for two years, explaining potential side effects—but he left out the most important one.

Through my own research, I discovered that the drug could cause a secondary cancer. When I questioned Ashley’s nurse practitioner, I was told the risk was low. Still concerned, I shared this information with Ashley and told her she did not need to take the drug—that she could proceed with radiation alone, which had worked before.

Ashley responded, “But isn’t this how we find cures? I am willing to take that chance if it means helping other children avoid what I’ve gone through.” Against my advice, she chose to take the drug because she wanted to help others. When it was discovered that she was allergic to it, she was told to continue taking it along with Benadryl. She then also underwent radiation. Despite doctors doubting her chances, Ashley survived once again. Her strength and attitude carried her through.

It was during this time that I was inspired to start the foundation.

Ashley’s perseverance and compassion for other children motivated me to follow her lead.

In November 2010, during a checkup at St. Jude, doctors found a growth between her skull and dura. She had just completed the drug treatment. In January 2011, she underwent surgery in Chicago to remove the growth, which was benign. A month later, she developed an infection requiring another surgery and hospitalization. She then needed IV antibiotics for four months, followed by oral antibiotics for two more.

Over time, Ashley developed lasting side effects from her treatments: permanent hair loss, osteoporosis, nerve damage that caused her to limp, vision problems, early menopause at age 21, and short-term memory issues. Despite all of this, she persevered. She graduated high school with honors, earned her associate degree from a local community college, and transferred to Olivet Nazarene University. Originally, she wanted to become a doctor, but due to delays in her education, she decided to pursue becoming a nurse practitioner specializing in pediatric oncology.

Ashley graduated from community college in May 2014 and began classes at Olivet Nazarene University that August. In November, she told me she believed her hemoglobin was low because she felt unusually tired and short of breath. Tests confirmed she was right. Further testing revealed she had leukemia—specifically AML, a form caused by prior treatment. In other words, it was the secondary cancer linked to the drug she chose to take to help others.

Ashley maintained an incredible and unwaveringly positive attitude. From the very beginning, she insisted that everyone involved in her care remain positive. She would say, “I know how serious my cancer is, but I choose to stay positive because I believe I can beat this.” We made sure everyone respected that mindset.

Her chances of survival were so low that doctors would not even provide a percentage. Still, they honored her wishes and remained positive. Ashley endured months of intense treatment. She was hospitalized for four months, during which her brother Jake served as her stem cell donor. She received the transplant in January 2015 and returned home in March. Doctors were astonished—she was completely cancer-free and growing stronger every day.

Ashley continued regular visits to Chicago and was doing well until August 2016, when she was scratched while breaking up a fight between pets. She required stitches and was given a tetanus shot despite my concerns. A week later, tests revealed her cancer had returned. Within weeks, her bone marrow went from being fully donor-derived and cancer-free to 95% cancerous.

Ashley began treatment with a new doctor, but unfortunately, the positivity she valued was not upheld. We experienced what we felt was inadequate care and a persistently negative outlook. Treatment after treatment failed, and Ashley was in and out of the hospital for eight months.

Determined to find better options, I searched for the best AML specialist and found one in Seattle. Unlike her current team, he believed there was still hope. He told us, “As long as Ashley is alive and willing, there is a chance.”

We began planning the trip carefully, as Ashley could not fly and required frequent transfusions. But in early April 2017, before we could leave, Ashley collapsed at home. She was airlifted to the ICU in Chicago. Though she initially improved, complications followed. On April 21, 2017, at 3:00 p.m., Ashley passed away.

Our world has been forever changed.

Ashley dedicated her life to helping others. Even while suffering, she worked tirelessly to support the foundation, volunteered, and spoke at events. She never focused on her own struggles, often saying, “I’m okay—it could be worse, and for someone else, it is.”

Continuing the foundation without her has been incredibly difficult. But we go on because it is what Ashley would want. It is what she gave her life for.

Ashley wanted to live more than anything. She never complained, never asked for anything—except one thing: to live.

Ashley Elizabeth Montgomery was an extraordinary young woman—a true hero