VENICE- What began as a doctor’s visit for pink eye; turned into a parent’s worst nightmare. Their daughter, diagnosed with cancer. Now that five year old Suncoast girl is raising awareness and helping other kids fight the disease.
Kinsley Peacock loves all things sweet and sparkly. Six months ago, just days before Christmas and her fifth birthday, Kinsley was diagnosed with retinoblastoma an extremely rare form of eye cancer. Kinsley’s father, Adam Peacock says her diagnosis came after visiting multiple doctors, one pediatric ophthalmologist even said he was 99 percent sure there wasn’t a tumor.
“It was a period of darkness and fear in our life,” said Kinsley’s father, Adam Peacock. “We didn’t know what to think.”
Kinsley underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, had her right eye removed, and was confined to her home for months because of her compromised immune system. Still, Kinsley whipped up something even her father, Adam Peacock couldn’t imagine.
“She said daddy, would you make me a cookie cart?” said Adam Peacock. “It’s extremely humbling, to see her going through the fight of her life and to still want to give back and give joy to others was such a rewarding thing to see as a parent.”
With so much time on her hands, Kinsley began to bake. Handing out her homemade cookies in her neighborhood and school. Then, the non-profit organization, Kinsley’s Cookie Cart was born.
“It would be another vehicle for us to give back and help others and to be able to make it a much bigger thing than just a cookie cart,” said Adam Peacock.
Kinsley is now a cancer survivor, but says she’s not finished helping others fight cancer.
“I can raise money for other kids in the hospital,” said Kinsley Peacock.
Kinsley recently became one of Dick Vitale’s courageous kids, raising more money and awareness for pediatric cancer.
“It was such a beautiful thing to watch Kinsley ring that bell, but what drives us every day and to push the foundation are all the other kids and families that are hearing those words that their child has cancer,” said Adam Peacock.
Since launching the Kinsley’s Cookie Cart website, the Peacocks have raised nearly $25,000.