Kylie's Inspirations
Children’s Book, “Kylie Rose Kickin’ Cancer”
Kylie’s Grandpa, Tim Truax, who often helped at night at the hospital so we (Carrie and Eric) could be home with our other two children for dinner and bed time, saw that many families just like ours, were coming into this situation with a lot question marks and unknowns.
Tim has always been someone who can easily jump into a project when needing to find an outlet of some kind, and this time was no different. He started writing, in poetic form, a children’s book that would help a child and their family better understand all that was happening.
The book is titled “Kylie Rose Kickin’ Cancer” and Tim has sent copies of the book to many Children’s Hospitals across the country. The book includes both real life photos of Kylie as well as beautiful illustrations done by our artist friend, Bree Young. See attached links for both Bree and Tim’s personal stories around the book.
External Links
Project Outrun
Andy Shepperd, Project Outrun Founder - “Every story has a beginning; every race as a start. The start of Project Outrun began with a little girl named Kylie Rose Jacobs. Kylie is a little girl who has battled cancer now on three separate occasions. Three summers ago, I was fortunate enough to run in her first 5K race in Copley, OH, Kylie Rose’s Run. During that race her cancer was in remission, and her prognosis was good. Unfortunately, the cancer returned the following year and was treated again. On the second anniversary of her 5k, she was once again in remission and her prognosis was good. As I watched that strong, radiant ball of fire run around the track, the thought popped in my head…If Kylie has a 5k to give back to the hospital, she clearly needs shoes to match her 5k logo. So I made a mental note that for the 2017 5k I was going to design her shoes to match her logo that she could wear when she ran her race cancer-free.
Around Christmas 2016, they once again discovered a mass and the cycle of surgery and treatment was about to begin. The day I heard that news, I knew that her shoes needed to be made immediately. After Kylie had a successful surgery over the Christmas holiday, I sent her Dad a picture of her shoes next to her logo and simply said, “when Kylie outruns cancer, she has to be wearing the right shoes.” That was the moment this idea began. An idea of empowering kids through shoes. Dream shoes, powerful shoes, custom made shoes!! Shoes with their colors and their messages. Whatever they need to lace up every day and outrun fear, or sickness, or doubt, and get them back on their feet.”
