KEYS Kid Ambassador Program
Each year, the KEYS Program selects one of our KEYS kids to represent KEYS as the face and smile of our KEYS kids. The job of the ambassador is to represent KEYS at various events and to simply spread smiles to all they meet! This year, our KEYS Kids Ambassador is Alayah Green and our KEYS Sibling Ambassador is June Finnegan. We are so honored and excited for them to represent all of the amazing KEYS kids across the US this year!
KEYS Kid Ambassador Alayah
Alayah has been a KEYS Kid for many years and is our KEYS Kid Ambassadors for 2024!
Alayah was diagnosed with Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in November of 2016, 2 months before her 3rd birthday. After 2 years and 3 months, she finished her treatment and has remained cancer free since! Today she is a thriving 10 year old who loves nothing more than to sing, dance, and hang out with her friends.
As for her songwriting with KEYS, Alayah has big plans:
"I want to write songs to show other kids who are facing difficult times and significant illnesses that we are unstoppable and can go on to do great things."
"My dream is to take my songs to the hospital I was treated at; Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse, perform them for kids there and help them to write their own songs."
What the KEYS Program means to Alayah and her family...
Thank YOU for making these smiles possible!
KEYS Sibling Ambassador June
Testimony from June's Mom
“There is really just not enough we can say about our music therapy with The KEYS Program…soul lifting and nothing short of miraculous in terms of what it gave to Kian (and our entire family). Kian went months unresponsive at first and music therapy was the first time he started tapping his foot in the hospital. When he came home and we found out about KEYS, it was the highlight of the week and the way he began to communicate. On his last day, I held him as he strummed a guitar with our music therapist and I looked down and knew he was happy in that moment. I feel so strongly about the power of music therapy at end of life. It gave our entire family so much comfort and joy in Kian’s time here.
KEYS continues to support June throughout the next 11 years of her journey. It was KEYS that helped June sing at Kian’s Celebration of Life- an idea I would not have thought of on my own but one that had a tremendously positive impact on June’s grieving process. I am so thankful the KEYS Program exists."
Past KEYS Kids Ambassadors:
Jacob Hadcock 2011
Lindsay Peterson 2012
Hope Inslee 2013
Owen Lee 2014
Cameron "Cam the Man" Duncan 2015
Meet Amelia
Sweet, smiling 8 year old Amelia wants to be a chef when she grows up!
Diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 2 and a rare brain tumor (stage 3 menengioma) when she was 4 years old. Amelia is stable and doing well today, but her life is still made up of regular MRIs, scans and tests to ensure she remains that way.
The KEYS Program remains at her side throughout her journey, providing music therapy, fun respite days and smiles!
What the KEYS Program means to Amelia's family ...
"This was the BEST day of my life!" said Amelia.
In the summer of 2019, the KEYS Program was able to grant Amelia a dream come true "Chef for a Day" Smile Experience with celebrity chef Andrea Maranville, from the Great American Baking Show Holiday Edition!
Check out this video ...and the smiles...that you help make possible!
Anna's Smile!
At the KEYS Program, it's all about the smiles, and no one had a more beautiful smile than KEYS kid Anna!
Anna and her family were scheduled to be our VIP guests at Fox Fest, an all day concert to benefit the KEYS Program. This event was dedicated in memory of beautiful 12-year-old Anna who lost her courageous battle with Ewing Sarcoma four days ago. Anna lit up this world with her bright, beautiful smile and touched the lives of so many.
Those who attended joined in support of Anna's family, wearing yellow (Anna's favorite color), brought sunflowers (Anna's favorite flower) and joined us in covering the field with love and support for Anna's family!
#annastrong #foxfest #creatingsmiles #keysprogram
We invite you behind the scenes with this short video of our music therapist Amanda sharing music therapy with 3 year old KEYS kiddo, Kian and his mom, just a few weeks before he passed away from cancer.
Our wish is for a cure, but in the meantime, we are on a mission to bring love, light, joy and smiles to children and families like Kian's!