Kili Camacho Yau

When 11-year-old Kili Camacho Yau began spiking high fevers that ultimately caused her to miss 32 days of school, she was diagnosed with mononucleosis. But when Kili’s symptoms didn’t improve, her mom, Katelyn, who is a nurse, felt something much more was wrong.
 
By December 2023, Katelyn’s concerns about her daughter’s health had grown, and when Kili suddenly developed a large mass on her neck, Katelyn immediately took her to the Children’s of Alabama Emergency Department. The diagnosis was Hodgkin Lymphoma, a cancer that affects the body’s lymphatic system, including the lymph nodes.
 
“She was diagnosed that Friday, and we started chemo the next Monday,” Katelyn said.
 
Kili was admitted for a week of intense inpatient chemotherapy followed by biweekly clinic treatments for six months. Radiation treatments followed after Kili completed the chemo.
 
“Everything but the kitchen sink was thrown at her,” Katelyn said. “She did awesome! The hardest part for me was watching her go through everything and not be able to fix it.”
 
Despite the challenges of her treatment, Kili kept up with her schoolwork online and through homeschooling. She also found a new way to channel her love of art by learning to make beaded jewelry.
 
“She makes jewelry for her friends,” Katelyn said. “She’s a big giver.”
 
Kili’s creativity earned her the opportunity to design a special bracelet for the Kendra Scott jewelry store at The Summit in Birmingham. The store, a longtime sponsor of Children’s of Alabama through its Kendra Cares creative arts program, donated 20% to Children’s for each bracelet sold. 
 
Kili gives in other ways, as well. When she’s at Children’s for follow-up visits, she takes goody bags filled with snacks, games to play in bed and stuffed animals for patients on the hematology-oncology unit. She calls this fun surprise a “Ding-Dong Ditch” because she hangs the gift bag on the patient’s doorknob, knocks on the door and runs off so the gift is a surprise. Last spring, she also filled 300 plastic eggs with treats and organized an Easter egg hunt on the unit for the children receiving inpatient care. 
 
Thanks to the aggressive treatment Kili received, she is now in remission. She will continue to see her hematologist-oncologist, Dr. Ana Xavier, regularly for follow-up visits for several years. Otherwise, her days are spent like those of most any other middle schooler, including her latest hobby—archery.