Jack Holm, Iris Courtney and Ella Thomas – cancer warriors and friends.
“Your child has cancer.” That’s a sentence no parent expects to hear. But cancer brought the Holm, Courtney and Thomas families together – and they formed lasting friendships.
Meet Jack
Jack Holm is an athletic 12-year-old at Louisville Middle School who played baseball, basketball and golf. Nagging leg pain and swelling led his mom, Sarah, to take him to an orthopedic doctor for an X-ray. “Several doctors came into the room and said they found a tumor,” she said. “They said they would refer us to an oncologist at the Akron Children’s Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. At the same time, I was going through breast cancer treatment.”
Jack was diagnosed with osteosarcoma on June 6, 2024. This type of bone cancer often develops in the long bones around the knee. He had a port surgically placed, and he started inpatient chemotherapy the next day. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor and part of his tibia bone, followed by total knee replacement and then stronger chemo.
Jack rang the bell to celebrate the end of treatment on Feb. 18, 2025.
Meet Iris
Iris Courtney is a 13-year-old competitive cheerleader and runner at United Local Schools. Her mom, Kim, took her to the doctor for an X-ray after ongoing knee pain. “We found out within an hour of her X-ray that she had cancer – osteosarcoma – and it was the shock of our lives,” Kim said. “The next day, we were at Akron Children’s.”
Iris got MRIs, CT scans, biopsies and other tests. She started chemo May 17, 2024. She had 10 weeks of chemotherapy treatments before surgery to remove the tumor. After surgery, she endured another 18 weeks of chemo and many delays due to infections and illness. From start to finish, Iris spent 10 months in and out of the hospital receiving treatment. “Iris would start getting sick typically two days after each chemo treatment,” Kim said. “After surgery, she needed physical therapy. That was hard to do when she felt so rotten, and there wasn’t a big ‘win’ during that time. We just focused on the day she’d be able to ring the bell at the end of treatment.”
Iris completed treatment and rang the celebratory bell on Feb. 10, 2025.
Meet Ella
Ella Thomas is a competitive dancer and cheerleader at Dalton Middle School. She had shoulder and knee pain, lacked energy and looked pale. “I took her to urgent care to see if she hurt her ribs dancing or doing a back handspring, and everything on the X-ray looked fine,” her mom, Theresa, said. “Ella then had a fever, and my ‘mom gut’ told me something was really wrong. I took her to the emergency room, and an ultrasound showed a 6-inch tumor in her abdomen.”
Ella was diagnosed at age 12 with high-risk neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer usually found in children under 5. Her treatment included surgery to remove 98% of the tumor, which exceeded everyone’s expectations. She underwent tandem stem cell transplants that required a 30-day stay for each one. She recently finished radiation and will be heading into the final treatment phase: immunotherapy. “They told us at diagnosis to prepare for 12 to 18 months of pretty hard treatment,” Theresa said. “Our target is that she’ll be feeling better by Christmas.”
Jack and Iris made this sign to encourage Ella during treatment. They’ll be by Ella’s side when it’s her turn to ring the bell.
Friendships form
As Jack and Iris underwent treatment, a mutual friend connected Sarah and Kim. “I got Kim’s phone number but didn’t do anything with it. Jack was in the hospital; it was such a busy and unsettling time,” Sarah said. “One evening, I heard from Kim. We just started talking, and we instantly hit it off.”
When Kim and Sarah met, they hugged like longtime friends. “Unless your child is going through cancer, you don’t really know what it’s like,” Kim said. “We felt each other’s pain – and that moment will stay with me for a long time.”
Then, Kim and Theresa connected in the cancer unit kitchenette. “Kim came up to me and introduced herself,” Theresa said. “I like how she approached me because she understood what I was going through. She was just there to hug me, and she was amazing.”
Kim introduced Sarah and Theresa. And the kids, connected, too. Jack and Iris often got treatment at the same time, so they were together often. Iris and Ella also communicated, although they couldn’t go into each other’s rooms when they were getting chemo. “They would send each other little cards and texts,” Theresa said. “Jack and Iris brought Ella a sign to encourage her and stood outside her room. Kim and Sarah are amazing women – and the kids are amazing, too.”
Jack and Iris attended the 2025 Prom to Remember together.
There for each other
Iris completed treatment and rang the celebratory bell on Feb. 10, 2025. Jack rang the bell on Feb. 18, 2025. When it comes time for Ella to ring the bell later this year, the Holm and Courtney families will be there to celebrate with the Thomas family.
Sarah had a bell-ringing moment of her own, as she finished breast cancer treatment in June.
Jack and Iris attended the Prom to Remember together on June 13. The Holm and Courtney families left the following morning for a beach vacation together.
“Jack, Iris and Ella have their own friend groups – but they come together for each other,” Sarah said. “They had to grow up quickly, and they’ve taken everything in stride. They deserve the whole world.”
Although they have their own friend groups, they always come together to support one another.
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