24 Aug Meet the Lagroon-Coley Family: Finding Joy at Our House

Kambria Lagroon plays dress up in our playroom at our Ronald McDonald House near Egleston during her cancer treatment.

Kambria Lagroon was only 6 years old when her world changed with a diagnosis of Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. The Ronald McDonald House at Egleston gave her a little normalcy throughout her long treatment.

Her family discovered Kambria’s cancer when she was scheduled for surgery to remove her adenoids and tonsils. “While she was getting prepped for surgery and having her vitals checked, her blood pressure was running very high,” recalls Kambria’s mom, Patrina Lagroon.

Patrina says Kambria would always have headaches that would cause her to get sick and required her to lay down until they went away.

The surgeon called their pediatrician about Kambria’s high blood pressure, who referred her to a specialist. After her diagnosis, the specialist diagnosed ordered a treatment plan that consisted of 10 cycles of chemotherapy, surgery to remove her tumor, MIBG radiation therapy, and an autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Kambria Lagroon in cancer treatment

“It was a lot of not knowing and waiting to see if the chemotherapy was working or not,” Patrina says. “The Ronald McDonald House made us feel very welcomed. Everyone was so nice and thoughtful. It made us feel very at ease and gave us peace of mind.”

Staying at the House allowed the Lagroon family to focus on Kambria and her treatments. “It allowed me to make sure that she was comfortable and made her feel very safe. I didn’t have to worry about food or anything. I just wanted her to be happy,” Patrina says.

For Kambria, it meant being able to be a kid with visits to the House’s playroom. “Even though she was going through treatment, she was still able to be a child, have play time, and meet new friends,” Patrina says.

Kambria is now in her fourth year of remission and had her first visit with the Survivor’s Clinic, this summer and is doing great with big plans for the future. “Kambria wants to be a doctor when she grows up, so she can help people,” her mom says.