Finnley has been around motorcycles her whole life. Her uncle is a retired professional motocross racer, and her grandparents own a track called Georgia Practice Facility in Cairo, Georgia. Every year, they hold a competition called The Cla$h, which brings in riders from all over the country. When it was time for this year’s race, Finnley had an idea to raise money for children fighting cancer… because she knows how hard that is since she’s battling leukemia herself.
In early 2023, Finnley had ankle pain that went on for months, compounded with compression fractures. After many doctor appointments and tests, her mother, Stacy, knew something wasn’t right.
“We were told it might be growing pains,” recalled Stacy. “But I’m an emergency room nurse. So, as her pain increased, I just knew in my heart that it wasn’t right. I pushed for a blood test, and the doctor confirmed my suspicions immediately.”
Finnley was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2023. At just eight years old, she has proven how resilient she is time and time again. She has smiled and kept in good spirits even at the most difficult stages of treatment. Finnley is very social, so the most challenging thing for her has been missing so much school and being away from her friends.
“She didn’t suffer from too many side effects until she reached the long-term maintenance phase, which is supposed to be easier,” said Stacy. “She had more hospital stays and a lung infection that was difficult to treat. Going on our wish trip changed everything for her.”
When planning for The Cla$h began, the family looked to add a charity element to the weekend. Stacy and Finnley knew who they wanted to raise money for immediately.
“CURE was with us from day one,” shared Stacy. “When we were first diagnosed, we didn’t go home for eight days. We were in survival mode – only eating and leaving the room sporadically. One day, a lady from CURE peeked into the door with a bag of food. She said, ‘I know it’s hard right now, but you need to eat. So I’m going to leave this here for you.’ That was everything to me because I knew right then that I wasn’t alone. And CURE has been there the entire time.”
Finnley set up a table at the event to sell coffee and donuts and share CURE’s mission with all the riders and spectators. She set her own alarm and got up at 5:30 a.m. so she could get the donuts and be at the track when people began to show up. She stayed until 11:00 p.m. both nights and raised $1500 for CURE.
“We were so proud of her,” said Stacy. “She had a purpose, and it meant a lot for her to be able to give back.”
Finnley is doing great these days. She loves school and spending time with friends. Her treatment should end in June, but her mom believes that Finnley’s unselfish heart will always want to help children who have to fight cancer like she has.
