Two days after her eighth birthday, Rylie Hope Mogan — lovingly known as “Hopie” — was diagnosed with an incredibly rare and aggressive cancer called Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor (DSRCT). Doctors gave her just a 7% chance of surviving the year. But her mother, filled with faith and fierce determination, looked Dr. Goodell of Advocate Lutheran Children’s Hospital in the eye and said, “She’s going to make it, and you are the doctor who is going to make that happen.” She had prayed deeply and believed without a doubt that he was meant to walk this journey with them.

From the very beginning, Hopie’s family made a choice — to protect her light. Visitors were told to leave their tears at the door. This was not a place for fear, but for strength, for love, and for fighting spirit. And fight she did. Through countless rounds of chemotherapy, alternating weeks at home and in the hospital, and a year full of grueling treatments, Hopie stood tall — supported by the fierce love of her family.

She endured more than a dozen rounds of chemotherapy and received her first stem cell transplant at the HOT unit in Children’s of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. And then, the words they had longed to hear: No Evidence of Disease — NED. It felt like they could finally breathe, finally leave the word “cancer” behind.

But the road ahead remained rocky. Hopie faced many setbacks, more scans, new complications, and relentless fatigue — her bone marrow had never fully recovered from her first transplant. Still, every time life knocked her down, she got back up. Quietly, courageously, and with a strength that was far beyond her years.

Four years later, Hopie relapsed. The doctors had used every possible tool during her first battle, leaving few options. She underwent oral chemo and radiation, and — against the odds — she once again reached remission. NED. But the shadow of the disease never fully lifted. PTSD lingered in every ache, every stomach pain, every bruise. And Hopie’s body was growing weary. Her bone marrow was failing, and they knew another transplant was coming.

Then came a new diagnosis: bladder cancer, caused by chemotherapy she'd received years before. After over 25 procedures and surgeries across hospitals in different states, the tumor was removed. But a larger challenge loomed — Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). Her second stem cell transplant was the only hope left, even though her body was tired and worn from years of treatment.

And still, Hopie fought. Even as she underwent her second transplant, she completed her own kind of marathon. In the hospital, feet blistered, breath short, and body aching, she pushed through three excruciating weeks with her trademark bravery and quiet resilience.

The complications came fast, and the toll on her body was great. But her family will never say she lost. Because Hopie never stopped fighting. Never stopped inspiring. Never stopped loving.

Rylie Hope Mogan — "Hopie" — didn’t lose her battle.
She won.