“They became our anchors in the storm.”
When we get to know families at Madelyn James, it’s such a beautiful and unique experience. Our team calls our family to introduce ourselves, and just to say, “we understand. We are here for you.” That’s it. A simple message that travels so perfectly no matter what language you speak or your life up to that point.
For our family honoree’s for this year’s Philly Bow Bash, we remember so clearly meeting Tim and Alexis and their children Thomas & Vivienne in 2024.
In January of 2024, their six-month-old daughter, Vivienne, was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer. Just one week later, they received the shocking news that their two-year-old son, Thomas, had the exact same condition.
They immediately relocated their family from Tennessee to Philadelphia for eight months of chemotherapy, blood transfusions and continuous hospital care. To survive that season, they had to take leave from their jobs, rent out their home, and upend their entire lives.
That day when our Madelyn James Team first met the Kneller’s, we drove to Nick’s House (another amazing organization!) where they lived for months as they navigated having two children under three diagnosed with cancer. We brought over gift cards, toys, and some of their “favorite things” and also made it a family affair – Hannah joined us as well.
When we arrived, Hannah started playing with Thomas and Vivienne right away. And, our always special connection, is that as they were playing and running around (just like all two and three year olds do!) Timothy said, “Thomas James, please be careful!” Dan and I looked at each other and shared a moment – Maddy’s middle name is James, Hannah’s is Thomas. It felt like this moment and this connection was meant to be.
And, they have been inspiring us ever since!
Alexis shared with us that, “during the most overwhelming phase of our journey, Madelyn James stepped in as our anchor. When the rest of the world expected us to magically return to “normal,” they showed up in the ways that mattered most: assisting with our mortgage, preserving our health insurance while on FMLA, bringing meals to the hospital, and celebrating every small recovery milestone alongside us.”
The best news!? As of September 10th, 2026, Thomas and Vivienne are still cancer free!
As all childhood cancer families know, that is not the end of your journey – just the beginning of a new reality. Navigating survivorship and the toll of treatment is extremely difficult.
And, there is celebration!
- Thomas and Vivienne are in school!
- Alexis is back to teaching high school English!
- Timothy’s business is slowing starting to pick up!
- The kiddos are in their “Toy Story” era and every photo we get they are in cowboy outfits. Just being normal kids.
We hope you can join us in-person on Saturday, November 7th as we honor this AMAZING family at this year’s Philly Bow Bash!
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