Community holds parade in Haymarket for child declared cancer-free

On Sunday, September 20, family, friends, princesses, superheroes, first responders, and volunteers with The Sweet Julia Grace Foundation gathered for a celebration parade. Cars were decorated with balloons and signs of support.

The event was all for three-year-old Matthew who, in 2019, was diagnosed with cancer. Mathew has endured 13 rounds of chemotherapy, four surgeries, three serious bacterial infections, two bone marrow transplants, and six months of immunotherapy. In early September, after a week of scans, blood work, biopsies, and tests, he was declared free of the disease.

Parde viewers looked on from the intersection of Routes 29 and 15 in Haymarket and smiled when the perfectly dressed princesses from “The Princess Performer” rested on the top of a privately owned fire truck, driven by Mark Olsen, of Nokesville. The parade began with Prince William County Police’s B-Squad Western District, with sirens and lights leading the way down the street to Mathew’s family home.

Mathew and his family sat in their yard, next to a sign stating “Way to Go Matthew” from SignGypsies, of Bristow, and a surprise moon bounce from Bruno’s Bounce House. About 30 cars paraded past as their occupants shouted, hoked horns, and waived from windows and sunroofs. Storm Troopers and Imperial Pilots from Star Wars, Spiderman, and Deadpool, marched too.

The Sweet Julia Grace Foundation had been by the family’s side since their lives were upended with Mathew’s diagnosis. The needs for a family in this situation can be overwhelming,” said foundation founder Sara Knight. The foundation provided the family with their mortgage, utilities, and groceries. When Mathew’s father had to work and his mom had to take Mathew to treatments, the foundation helped coordinate child care for Mathew’s siblings.

The family expresses their for Knight, calling her “wonder woman” and saying that the foundation has a magical wand. Knight’s ability to know what a family needs and how to support them through a medical crisis comes from personal experience. The foundation, based in Bristow, was founded by Knight in honor of her daughter Julia, who passed away in 2013 at age 12, due to complications of a rare disease.

The foundation serves families in Northern Virginia and in some areas of West Virginia with children who are seriously ill, have special needs, or are currently facing a medical crisis. The Sweet Julia Grace Foundation’s mission is to grant wishes that bring joy and change lives, fill in gaps other services are unable to fill and provide support with day-to-day needs for families going through the unimaginable with their child.

The children blessed in honor of Julia Grace are lovingly called “Raindancers” because, despite the storms they face every day, they have learned to “Dance in the Rain” just like Julia Grace.

The foundation builds ramps, purchases iPads to keep children entertained while they are in the hospital, modifies homes to give children with special needs more independence, creates outdoor spaces for children to enjoy, provides room makeovers, contributes therapy-related gifts, throws parties to celebrate ‘end of chemo’ and so much more! SJGF also helps Raindancer families with house payments, utilities, groceries, and crisis-related needs that have arisen in 2020.