Bristol Horner

Bristol is a sassy, outgoing 3‑year‑old and a true “girly girl.” She loves Frozen—especially Elsa and Anna—playing dress‑up in her princess gowns, singing at the top of her lungs, and watching K‑Pop Demon Hunters on her tablet. She owns multiple pairs of cowboy boots, her favorite pair covered in rhinestones.

She lives in Marine, Illinois, with her parents, Jessica and Travis, and her older brother Maverick, age 7. Jessica is a labor and delivery nurse and has long believed in a healthcare approach rooted in wellness, prevention, and lifestyle—rather than only treating illness once it appears. She planned to incorporate those principles into her children’s lives.

“Many people wait until they’re in pain to get checked,” Jessica explains. “But from birth through childhood, the nervous system is developing rapidly. Birth, bumps, and big emotions all affect that process. Pediatric chiropractic care helps restore balance so the body can function the way it was designed to.”

Maverick began seeing a chiropractor at age two after struggling with frequent ear infections and constipation. His initial pediatrician relied heavily on medication, increasing doses when the problems persisted. Eventually, Jessica changed pediatricians—one who suggested chiropractic care as a complement. After Maverick received routine adjustments, by age two‑and‑a‑half, his constipation resolved, his ear infections stopped, and he’s been healthy ever since.

During her pregnancy with Bristol, Jessica continued regular chiropractic adjustments. Bristol’s first adjustment came just a few days after birth, and both children attended monthly visits as a normal part of their healthcare routine.

That routine proved life‑changing in March 2025, when Bristol’s chiropractor, Dr. Kennedy Brauer, noticed something unusual during a routine assessment. She felt that Bristol’s liver seemed “pushed up” and recommended keeping a close eye on it. Bristol had no symptoms—no pain, no fever, no swelling, no complaints—but Jessica’s instincts were on alert.

At Bristol’s next visit on April 24, Dr. Brauer immediately noticed a change. Bristol’s abdomen felt different, and she was concerned about a mass. She encouraged Jessica to take her to the emergency room and have her checked out.

Within hours, Jessica brought Bristol directly to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. “I told them my daughter had a mass in her abdomen. They moved quickly getting us into a room and ordering tests right away,” she recalls. Bristol underwent X‑rays, bloodwork, an ultrasound, and a CT scan. Although Bristol felt perfectly fine, Nurse Practitioner Barb Huelsmann asked if her dad could come—something that made Jessica’s stomach drop.

Not long after Travis arrived, a doctor and nurse practitioner delivered the unexpected news: they were highly suspicious that Bristol had Wilms tumor, a malignant kidney cancer most commonly diagnosed in children under five.

“To put it mildly, we were shocked,” Jessica says. “That morning we were getting our nails done. A few hours later, we were being told our daughter had cancer.”

Bristol was admitted to the inpatient oncology unit that evening. The following day, her care team outlined a treatment plan that included surgery and chemotherapy. Because Bristol’s labs and vital signs were stable, she was discharged home for the weekend, with surgery scheduled for the following week.

The family spent that weekend together—visiting the zoo and enjoying quiet time at home—aware that everything was about to change. Surgery took place on April 29, just five days after diagnosis. The tumor measured 10 centimeters and filled nearly the entire right side of Bristol’s abdomen, despite never being visibly noticeable. It was later classified as stage 2 Wilms tumor.

Although early‑stage Wilms tumors are often cured with surgery and standard chemotherapy, pathology revealed that the cancer had spread to Bristol’s renal pole. This required a more aggressive chemotherapy regimen, delivered every three weeks to allow her body time to recover. During surgery, her affected kidney and nearby lymph nodes were removed, and a port was placed for continued infusions and blood draws.

Despite the intensity of treatment, Bristol handled chemotherapy remarkably well. Her energy remained high, side effects were minimal, and treatments were paused only occasionally when her blood counts dropped. One complication arose when a routine echocardiogram revealed a blood clot on the right side of her heart. Bristol was placed on oral Lovenox, increasing her risk of bleeding.

“Imagine trying to keep a three‑year‑old calm when she feels great,” Jessica laughs. “She is not a Netflix‑and‑chill kind of kid.” The clot was closely monitored and resolved over a few months.

Chemotherapy continued through November 2025. Over the course of treatment, Bristol required only one blood transfusion and one inpatient stay for fever and low counts. In February 2026, she fulfilled her Make‑A‑Wish with a trip to Disney World—meeting Elsa and doing “all the Elsa things.” Her port was removed the following month, and she now returns to the Costas Center every three months for imaging and bloodwork.

Looking back, Jessica says cancer forever changed their family—but so did the care they received at Cardinal Glennon.

“From the moment we walked in, we never felt like just another diagnosis,” she reflects. “Every provider listened. Every question mattered. They treated Bristol as a whole person, and they treated us as partners in her care.”

Beyond clinical expertise, it was the layers of support that carried their family through. Child Life specialists helped Bristol approach procedures with confidence instead of fear and established routines that made hospital visits feel safer and more predictable. Art therapy, music therapy, and Kids Rock Cancer gave Bristol space to be a three‑year‑old first and a patient second—moments of normalcy and joy that mattered deeply.

The oncology psychologist supported their entire family, helping Maverick stay involved and understood, and guiding Jessica through some of Bristol’s regressions and emotional shifts during treatment. “They didn’t just treat the cancer,” Jessica says. “They helped us hold our family together.”

Today, as Bristol runs, sings, and plans her next Disney adventure, Jessica reflects with gratitude and perspective. “We would never want anyone to face a childhood cancer diagnosis,” she says. “But if we had to walk this journey again, there is no place we would rather be than Cardinal Glennon. They earned our trust at the hardest moment of our lives—and they will always have it.”