2026 Recipients

Shema Dickinson (50 yrs. old)

Shema Dickinson was born and raised in Chester County, where his roots ran deep, and his character was formed early. His family eventually settled in Parkesburg, and he attended Octorara Area School District, building friendships that would last a lifetime. Even as a young man, Shema stood out, especially on the basketball court. An avid and fearless player, he often competed against older athletes, sharpening the grit and determination that would define him.

 His love for the game led him to finish his junior and senior seasons at Solanco High School, where his team remains in the record books as one of the best to ever play there, a testament to his leadership, work ethic and passion. After high school, Shema built a strong and respected career in manufacturing. His dedication and intelligence opened doors that allowed him to travel for company trainings and advancement opportunities. He later found a professional home at Y&S Candies, where he dedicated 15 years of hard work and loyalty.

Later in life, Shema met the love of his life, Rhiannon, at a time when they both needed each other most. Though he never had biological children of his own, he chose fatherhood wholeheartedly, creating a beautiful family with her three sons, Damon, Desmond and Miguel. He bonded with them first through basketball, the universal language of his heart, and went on to coach Damon and Desmond at his alma mater, pouring into the next generation the same discipline and love the game had given him. Together, Shema and Rhiannon built a life from the ground up, eventually moving to Landisville and achieving one of their proudest accomplishments: homeownership. From humble beginnings, they created stability, love and legacy.

As his two oldest boys stepped into adulthood, Shema devoted himself even more deeply to his youngest son, lovingly known as “Papi,” and his basketball journey. Coaching him, filming his games, studying footage, Shema found immense joy in nurturing and capturing the growth of something he helped shape. It wasn’t just about basketball; it was about presence, belief and unwavering support. Through life’s many changes, marriage, loss of his beloved mother, and countless milestones in between, Shema remained steady. He is one of the most intelligent people you could ever meet, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Books were his refuge. Learning was his peace. Growth was his constant pursuit. As his family grew and evolved, Rhiannon and Shema became empty nesters, entering a new chapter where, for the first time, they could simply enjoy one another. Becoming grandparents brought a new and unexpected joy. It reminded them that what brought them together in the first place: love. It felt like the beginning of a beautiful new season.

But soon after, Shema was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. In a single moment, the future they had just begun to dream about flashed before them. Every person he had touched throughout life stepped forward with prayers, hope, love and admiration. The outpouring reflected what he had quietly given to the world all along. The measure of his life became undeniable. Milestones were suddenly measured in months instead of years. But if the doctors thought they were defining Shema’s story, they underestimated him. Even in the shock of diagnosis, he chose purpose over fear. He began documenting his journey, recording honest, raw videos to spread awareness, educate others, and show what strength in uncertainty looks like. He stepped into chemotherapy with optimism and determination. 

 After the second treatment, they knew something was wrong. Soon Shema and Rhiannon were told the treatments were not working and the cancer was spreading. The disappointment was real. Yet even in that moment, he did not allow despair to take hold of his spirit. Instead, he leaned into love. He and his wife took time together, diving unto their faith and commitment to the life they had built. With the same courage that has defined him since youth, he chose to pursue a breakthrough treatment. During this time, he began a “Smile Campaign” on Facebook, a simple but powerful movement encouraging people to share kindness, joy and encouragement. Even while carrying the weight of his own uncertain future, he chose to lift others. He reminded everyone watching that gratitude and love can coexist with fear.

Now, Shema has begun a new radiation treatment, continuing to fight not just to survive, but to live. He has put his body through unimaginable physical challenges. The appointments, the side effects, the setbacks, he faces them all with quiet strength. And he does it for one reason: love. Shema Dickinson is strength, wisdom, devotion and heart. A man who built family not by blood alone but by choice. A teacher, a mentor, a husband, a father in every way that matters. Everything he endures, he endures for his family. His life is not defined by cancer. It is defined by courage. And that courage continues to inspire everyone blessed enough to know him.

Lily Kime (2 yrs. old)

When Mariah was pregnant with Lily, we went into our 20-week ultrasound filled with excitement and anticipation as we awaited the arrival of our second baby. Unfortunately, things did not go as expected. The ultrasound revealed a significant heart defect; only half of Lily’s heart was developing normally. She was soon diagnosed with hypoplastic right heart syndrome (HRHS).

After meeting with many specialists and gaining a clearer understanding of the severity of her condition, we made the difficult decision to move our family across the state to Pittsburgh, so Lily could receive care from specialists and surgeons who deeply understood her condition. When Lily arrived, doctors discovered that her heart condition was even more complex than originally anticipated. She received her first open-heart surgery at just six days old and her second at four months old. Shortly after the second surgery, she was rushed back into the operating room for an emergency surgery when her previous repair failed.

Lily endured an incredibly difficult five months of medical care. During that time, she underwent three open-heart surgeries, along with countless procedures, setbacks and challenges. Even after she was able to come home, Lily continued to face obstacles, most notably concerns about seizures and ongoing feeding difficulties. Today, Lily continues to receive care from a dedicated team of doctors we have been able to build closer to home.

Lily is an absolute warrior and has overcome more in her two years of life than most ever will. She is currently in a stable place and has been able to enjoy a season free from surgeries and procedures, allowing her to simply be a toddler. We are incredibly grateful for this time as we await the next steps in Lily’s heart repair. In about a year, Lily will undergo her fourth open-heart surgery to complete the final stage of repair for her condition. There is a strong possibility that her health may begin to decline before then. When her cardiologist determines the time is right, we will return to Pittsburgh for this surgery and the recovery period that will follow.

We are deeply thankful for the love and support we have received from our community. Our faith that has also carried us through our most difficult moments. We truly would not have made it through without our faith and our support system.

Due to Lily’s complex medical needs and frequent appointments, Mariah recently made the decision to step away from her teaching job to care for Lily full time. Our income has been cut in half and, although the sacrifice is completely worth it, we have felt the financial weight of this decision. Traveling to and living in Pittsburgh during Lily’s surgeries and procedures can also be financially demanding.

We are incredibly grateful to Field of Hope and their donors for helping ease some of this financial burden. We love our sweet Lily beyond words and will forever be thankful for the overwhelming love and support that surrounds her each and every day.

Amanda Cole (40 yrs. old)

Amanda is an educator of 15 years who lives with her husband, two children (Brayden, 13, and Sadie, 10) and her dog, Mable. She loves to read, garden, crochet, drink chai, play games and vacation with her family.

In November 2024, pain in her tailbone area prompted her to begin physical therapy, assuming it was muscular in nature. But by January, the pain had increased; localized numbing prompted the need for an MRI.

 Finding out Amanda had a tumor on the sacrum bone was the last thing we expected. A biopsy determined the tumor was an adenocarcinoma of unknown primary. Further molecular testing identified the cells as colorectal cells. She was then diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer. Over the next month, Amanda made several trips to the ER due to nerve pain and spent 19 days in the hospital before a palliative-care team was able to determine the best way to manage the severe nerve pain. During these hospital stays the oncology team at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania determined that surgery to remove the tumor would be extremely complex due to the location of the tumor. It would also come with major risks to her quality of life without guarantee that all the cancerous cells could be removed.

Instead, Amanda began six rounds of radiation followed by 12 rounds of chemotherapy over the course of 2025. Praise be to God, the tumor responded well to these treatments; it shrunk enough to stop pressing on the nerves and she was able to be weaned from the various pain medications by early summer. Amanda made the decision to return to teaching for the ‘25-’26 school year. However, the stress of managing regular appointments, traveling to Philadelphia for follow-up surgical consultations, and scheduling chemotherapy treatments on the weekends proved to be too much to manage both physically and emotionally. It felt like her life was being scheduled around her workdays, leaving very little energy and time for her family and health. Chemotherapy treatments were difficult as they were administered over the course of 48 hours from Friday to Sunday through a pump attached to her port. This meant that she slept for a large portion of each weekend and lost precious time with her family. The desire to attempt to be everything for everyone began affecting her health and she made the difficult decision to leave work once again.

 In January 2026, new scans and bloodwork did not show any signs of active cancer in the tumor or elsewhere, prompting her to be officially labeled as “No Evidence of Disease!” Still, Amanda was encouraged to continue a maintenance regimen of chemotherapy in an effort to try and prolong the time before a recurrence (90% chance statistically) could develop. Amanda chose to stop chemotherapy treatments for the foreseeable future in order to focus on healing her good cells and organs and make important changes to her lifestyle to support her overall health. She will continue to have bloodwork and CT scans done regularly to monitor the tumor since unfortunately, although it has shrunk and is less active, its location continues to make surgery very difficult. The teams at UPenn and Fox Chace Cancer Center deemed that surgery is too risky and not worth the ramifications (possible permanent loss of bladder and bowel functions). She also started working with a functional medicine practice that specializes in integrative cancer care. She is learning about metabolic health, how to support her body’s recovery and mitigate some of the lasting side effects from chemotherapy and change the “bodily terrain” where cancer was first able to thrive.

Though this past year has been the most challenging and scary of her life, Amanda feels so fortunate to be healing and even more eternally grateful for the Lord’s tangible presence and peace. She is thankful for her family, friends, church, colleagues and community for their unwavering support. All in all, she is blessed beyond measure and has learned so much about herself, priorities and relationships. The Lord has been so faithful, and she can face whatever tomorrow may bring knowing He has already gone ahead of her. Amanda prays He will use her to be an encouragement and give hope to others facing life’s storms.

Lindsey Garcia (40 yrs. old)

Lindsey Garcia is a devoted wife, loving mother, talented singer and woman of deep faith. She and her husband, David, are raising their two boys, Andrew (10) and Emmett (7), in a home centered on love, family and faith in Jesus. Whether it is attending church, worshipping together or simply spending time as a family, Lindsey treasures every moment with the people she loves most.

Before her breast cancer diagnosis, Lindsey lived a vibrant and active life. She spent time as a singer for a country music artist, sharing her voice with audiences and bringing joy through music. She was also a small business owner who never hesitated to take on new challenges. Above all, Lindsey has always been an incredible mother who pours her heart into caring for her boys and creating a warm and welcoming home.

Whether someone has known her for years or has just met her, they realize Lindsey is special. She treats every person with genuine kindness and respect and has a way of making everyone feel seen, valued and loved. People are naturally drawn to her warmth, her listening ear and her ability to make others feel at home.

In early 2020, Lindsey was diagnosed with breast cancer that became stage IV in late 2022. Since then, her journey has included multiple recurrences involving the breast, bones and lungs (small nodules). She has undergone chemotherapy twice and received radiation treatments. She continues to attend regular monthly treatments and appointments at the cancer center. Over the years, there have been multiple hospital stays and many difficult moments along the way.

Recently, Lindsey began a new treatment that is showing encouraging results. Her cancer markers have dropped significantly, bringing renewed hope and gratitude to her family. Although Lindsey often appears strong and healthy on the outside, the reality of living with cancer brings constant appointments, treatments and moments of physical pain. These challenges have also placed a financial strain on the family as David has needed to step away from work at times to care for Lindsey and their boys during treatment periods.

Through it all, Lindsey’s faith has remained the foundation of her life. In fact, her faith has only grown stronger throughout her journey. She continues to actively serve on the worship team at Victory Church, where singing and praising God brings her incredible peace. Lindsey has often shared that when she is worshipping; even in the midst of pain, it feels as though her pain disappears. Her faith does not only sustain her, but it also inspires those around her. David and their boys see firsthand what it means to trust God through difficult circumstances. Watching Lindsey continue to praise God, even on the hardest days, has strengthened the faith of their entire family and many others who witness her journey.

One small but meaningful tradition Lindsey keeps every day reflects her deep faith and love for her family. Before anyone leaves the house for the day, Lindsey traces the number “91” with her finger on their shoulders as a reminder of Psalm 91. It is her way of praying protection over her family before they go out into the world. On days when that moment hasn’t happened yet, the boys will often say they are still waiting for their “91.” Lindsey finds hope in the time she continues to share with her family, her church and her community. She believes deeply that God’s plan is perfect and that even in the midst of hardship, her story can point others toward faith and hope in Jesus.

Those who know Lindsey see more than someone battling cancer. They see a woman of extraordinary strength, unwavering faith and incredible love for her family. Lindsey continues to shine as a light of encouragement and inspiration to everyone blessed to know her. Lindsey and her family are very grateful to Field of Hope along with her friends, Kelsey and Sara, who nominated her, for providing the help and support needed to continue this journey.

Juniper McCord (3 yrs. old)

Juniper was born with cerebral palsy (CP). She specifically has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain before, during or shortly after birth. Her CP was caused and caught prior to birth. At 32 weeks into the pregnancy, a follow up ultrasound showed a severe amount of fluid in Juniper's brain. The very next day we were at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). After a 10-hour day that consisted of an MRI of Juniper's brain, a two-hour ultrasound, an echocardiogram, and speaking with a geneticist, we were told our unborn daughter may never be able to walk or talk. She had a large arteriovenous malformation (AVM) form in her brain that demanded all the blood flow, causing brain damage. They also believe she had a brain bleed during this time. She only has a fully formed cerebellum and brain stem; the rest of her brain is nonexistent or in patches.

Due to the high risk of another brain bleed after birth, the uncertainty of breathing on her own once delivered, and many other uncertainties, we were transferred to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital and CHOP. There, Juniper was delivered via c-section and arrived kicking and screaming.

Our little warrior stayed in the NICU at CHOP for five weeks where she had a procedure to stop the blood flow to the AVM in her brain and learned to feed from a bottle. We are very fortunate to have learned how to prepare for life at home with a child with CP prior to Juniper’s birth. It gave us the advantage to prepare, learn and grow a community around Juniper, who has received home-based therapies through Early Intervention and now IU13 since she was a few months old. She can eat pureed food and formula orally. She is nonverbal and non-ambulatory. She may need us dependently for the rest of her life, but she is still doing wonders. For example, we are currently working on ways to allow her to communicate her wants and needs with us.

In April 2025, Juniper had major hip surgery on her left side. Her hip was quickly shifting out of place and to full dislocation due to limited weight bearing. Unfortunately, this is not the most uncommon occurrence in children with CP. Her surgery was very successful. She had a plate and screws placed in her hip that unfortunately needs to be removed this year. She will go back into a more minor surgery here shortly; hopefully, that will not need to be revisited for a few years. 

 This diagnosis has left us with many uncertainties of the future, but we continue to take it day by day and appreciate the beautiful life we have with our little family. We know we will need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle and some home renovations in the future as Juniper continues to grow. Thanks to Field of Hope and the many donors, we feel more at ease knowing we will have some cushion when these major financial decisions come our way.

Victoria Morton (34 yrs. old)

Hi, I’m Victoria, though many know me as Tori.

In August of 2025, I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer after seeing a GI specialist for irritable stomach pains. Since then, life has become a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments, treatments, scans and navigating the many unknowns that come with this journey. Through it all, I am doing my best to stay strong, not just for myself, but for my 5-year-old son, Malachi, who is my greatest motivation and reason to keep fighting every single day.

At the end of January 2026, I underwent a major surgery that included the removal of a large tumor in my abdomen, reconstruction of other organs and a full hysterectomy. I spent a week in the hospital recovering, leaning on faith, strength and the love of those around me.

So far, I have completed five chemotherapy treatments, with three more ahead to target cancer nodules in my lungs. After the next round, I will undergo additional scans to determine how well the treatments are working and what the next steps may be. While the road is uncertain, I remain hopeful and trust that God has a greater plan for my life.

Because of this diagnosis, I’ve had to step away from all three of my jobs to fully focus on my health and healing. It hasn’t been easy, but it has given me a new perspective on what truly matters. Cancer has taught me how precious life is and to slow down, cherish the small moments and live each day as fully as possible.

This cancer is not the end of my story, and it will not define me. I am choosing to fight with everything I have and to continue spreading love, kindness and strength wherever I can. I fight this battle for my son, and I am deeply grateful for every day I get to spend with him.