Katheryne and her Mom, Tracy, arrived at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, IL early on Tuesday, August 25, 2020 to receive her left-handed ¾ guitar before getting treatment at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, IL. Katheryne was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2020 and receives her medical treatments at Advocate Children’s Hospital. Tracy drives Katheryne from Morris, IL where she lives with her parents and three older brothers.
While at Advocate, Katheryne met Lori Mackey from Art Therapy and Julie Przeslicke from Music Therapy and found out about Alyssa Alvin Foundation for Hope. She was thrilled that we could honor her gift request and we were equally happy to do it. In June, Katheryne submitted her special guitar request and upon receiving it, AAFH placed the special ¾ size left-handed guitar order from Instrument Exchange in Batavia, IL.
Katheryne, a 13-year-old, enjoys drawing, painting, singing, performing, and playing her ukulele. She says, “people know me as the artsy girl”. In addition to preparing for another school year, Katheryne taught herself to play and write songs on the ukulele. She now intends to learn to play the guitar with assistance from the music therapists at Advocate.
With all the challenges we have faced this year, it is even more rewarding to bring hope to young cancer patients through Alyssa’s Foundation and in memory of our beautiful daughter, Alyssa.
