Super Sophie's Story
Warrior. Inspiration. Hero. Miracle.
Sophie Elena aka, “Super Sophie,” was the brightest light and most beautiful, boundless spirit that has ever walked this earth.
Her sass and wit and unstoppable smile in the face of EXTREME adversity captivated hearts and impacted lives all over the world.
Super Sophie was diagnosed with Stage 3 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma in October 2015 at the age of six. She had surgery to have her power port placed and was admitted to the hospital to have her first ever chemotherapy treatment on November 2nd, 2015— Sophie’s 7th birthday. Before Sophie’s diagnosis, she was the picture of health. She had never even had an ear infection.
When she was diagnosed, Sophie really transformed into a warrior superhero in front of our eyes. Our entire family went into “FIGHT” mode, committed to getting her through treatment. I promised her I would never, ever give up on her. I never did.
After 48 grueling weeks of chemotherapy, 28 days of radiation and resection of the tumor in Sophie’s leg, she completed treatment in the fall of 2016 with scans that showed no evidence of disease. Unfortunately, Sophie’s battle was far from over. In July 2017 Sophie felt a hard lump in her stomach and the next day it was confirmed to be relapsed aRMS. This time she was Stage 4.
Super Sophie fought for nearly 4 years. Her story is one of miracles- - she first went into hospice in October 2018. All the doctors had given up and said nothing else could be done, but our prayers for miraculous healing were answered. December 2018, Sophie came out of hospice with 90% of the cancer in her body gone. Super Sophie was the first child that her nurse had ever seen be discharged from hospice, in her 20+ year career as an RN for Alive Hospice. Sophie came back to life and continued to fight and live and love so hard for 9 more months. (You can read a more detailed account of Sophie's journey on her Instagram or Facebook page).
Sophie relapsed several times in 2019 and for reasons we will never understand or know, on this side of heaven, God decided to bring Sophie into His perfect healing and protection on August 1, 2019. Losing Sophie, our amazing girl, shattered us, completely.
The world forever changed colors and none of us will ever be the same without her. I will long for her until we are reunited in heaven again. Our brave, beautiful, courageous, extraordinary supergirl is no longer here, physically, but Super Sophie’s indomitable spirit will always be with us. Her spirit and the inspiration that she left behind will continue on— making a huge impact in people’s hearts and lives.
We will continue her legacy of great love and endurance and grace in the face of unimaginable hardship. Sophie fought so bravely and she was outraged by all that she, and other children, had to go through due to lack of funding and research. It is our job to continue shining Sophie's incredible light in this world and bring awareness to the nightmare that is childhood cancer. Super Sophie's light has not gone out and it never will. She is gone, but she will NEVER be forgotten.
-Sophie's Mama, Mary