September 12, 2026
You've heard me say it a dozen times, CHILDHOOD CANCER ISNT RARE!!!
I went to the post office a couple weeks ago and met up with a cancer mom, but little did I know, I'd be meeting another one. Out of the 5 or 6 of us standing in that office, 3 of us had children affected by cancer. 2 of us had lost our children to it.
That is how I met Chelsea Jester. And today, we are going to spotlight her daughter, Cheyenne. Cheyenne should be in high school, living her best life. But 11 years ago at 5 years old, cancer took her. This is her story: My daughter's name is Cheyenne Reno. She was born on October 19, 2009, and was diagnosed on December 17, 2013, when she was four years old.
It all started with what we thought was just a sinus infection. After visiting several doctors, we met Dr. McFarland in the ER in Chanute. She ordered a scan, saw something concerning, and had us transferred to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
We went up by ambulance, where further scans revealed a tumor in her sinus cavity. Cheyenne was diagnosed with stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma. We began her treatment plan right away and were able to go home on Christmas Eve.
She went through chemo and radiation, and we thought we had beaten it when she went into remission. Tragically, the remission lasted less than two months.
We returned to Children's Mercy for follow-up scans. While we were playing in the hospital elevator after her scan, Cheyenne fell. She was crying and in so much pain, asking to go home. We drove home and she fell asleep comfortably, but when she woke up, she was in severe pain again, so we took her back to the Chanute ER.
After being sent to Children's Mercy again, we learned that the cancer had returned in her hip. We restarted chemo and radiation in May of 2015. Cheyenne had to start wearing a leg brace and was eventually in a wheelchair, but we kept fighting.
During a later set of follow-up scans, the doctor came in to tell us that the cancer had spread everywhere and that Cheyenne had approximately two weeks to live. Given our options, we decided to bring her home to our family farm to keep her comfortable for the remainder of her life.
During those final two weeks, Make-A-Wish brought Elsa from Frozen to visit her, and family came by to show their support. The day before she passed, she woke up and ate ice cream with her dad and me.
She passed away in my arms on August 10, 2015, surrounded by her family.
So today, in honor of Cheyenne, Lukes Legacy has purchased 11 gift cards from Wild Bloom Coffee Shop!!! We wanted to do our favorite thing, random acts of kindness, in honor of Cheyenne. So put on your gold, and go grab coffee today. The barista will be surprising 11 people with the gift cards!!! We hope the people surprised with them will take a photo, tag us, and also #Cheyenne.