Samantha Corey

Child’s Story

Samantha Corey

Diagnosis: Rhabdomyosarcoma

Samantha Corey was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma in 2022. She took a break from competitive volleyball and her sophomore year in high school to endure seven weeks of every day radiation and one year of weekly chemotherapy. We celebrated the end of treatment with a cruise and a Make A Wish trip and enjoyed entire summer with her. A short six months after she finished treatment, her cancer came back. Because of her type of cancer, we all knew at that point she was terminal. She chose to start chemo again to slow the growth of the cancer. She was able to give us all six more months before it relapsed again. We were able to sneak in a couple dream vacations of hers and enjoy Christmas together before she passed a few months later in January of 2024 (four short months before her high school graduation). Samantha was an inspiration to so many her last few years. She handled everything with such a positive attitude, rarely complaining, and always a smile on her face. Watching her go through so much during that time was just heartbreaking. It’s impossible to put into words how much grief has affected our family and all those who loved her. We will never forget the Nixon Strong Foundation, and the countless other friends and family who and supported (and continue to support and love) us through the hardest years of our life.