Our Mission and Vision
Our goal is to raise awareness of pediatric anaplastic ependymoma and help find a cure—so that no child ever has to endure this disease again. The Adi Jane Foundation is dedicated to advancing awareness and funding critical research while supporting both the scientific fight against this rare and aggressive pediatric brain cancer and the children and families who face it every day. Our primary focus is funding research, while also providing meaningful support to families during treatment through therapy and service dogs, financial assistance to help ease the burden of care, and access to counseling and emotional support along the way.
Together, we aim to bring hope, support, and progress to every family affected by anaplastic ependymoma.
Our Mission
As part of our mission at The Adi Jane Foundation, we are committed to making this dream a reality by funding the training and placement of therapy and service dogs—at no cost to families—so that children facing serious illness can experience comfort, companionship, and hope when they need it most.
We are committed to launching extensive research efforts to help find a cure for anaplastic ependymoma, while also providing families with the financial, spiritual, and emotional support they need during their most difficult moments.
Adi Jane also has an inspiring goal of becoming the world record holder for collecting pop tabs (aluminum tabs). She dreams of collecting 4,000 pounds of tabs by October 10, 2026, with plans to continue growing that total each year. All collected tabs will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House to help support the essential needs they provide while housing families during medical treatment.
Through research, support, and community-driven initiatives like the pop tab collection, The Adi Jane Foundation aims to make a meaningful difference for children and families facing pediatric cancer.
We also aim to bring in professional counselors to support not only families during their time of need, but especially the children who have questions, fears, and concerns of their own. Adi Jane’s parents have learned that many children often suppress their emotions during and after treatment, carrying anxiety they may not know how—or feel safe—to express.
By providing access to counseling and emotional support, we hope to create a space where children feel heard, understood, and supported throughout every stage of their journey.
Why We Need Your Help:
As of December 2025, Adi Jane’s cancer has been successfully treated with radiation and is not currently present in her body. However, her fight is far from over. Because of the nature of her disease, there is a risk it may return, and she will continue to face this battle throughout her life.
We need your help to share her story, raise awareness, and support vital research funding—so that other children and families may never have to face this fight in the future.
Adi Jane's Story:
On October 10, 2024, Adi Jane Pike was doing what any normal 8-year-old would do—spending time with friends and playing outside. After jumping on a trampoline at a neighbor’s house, she sat down to climb off. In that moment, her world—and her life—changed forever.
As Adi Jane sat on the trampoline, her body suddenly went numb. She was unable to move or speak. What should have been an ordinary afternoon quickly turned into a nightmare. At first, the neighbors did not expect anything serious, but they immediately realized something was wrong with the vibrant, energetic little girl they knew so well.
Just then, Adi Jane’s oldest brother, Ethan, pulled into the driveway. The neighbors called out to him, knowing something wasn’t right. Adi Jane had gone into a seizure. Ethan immediately sprang into action, carefully lifting her and rushing her to her bed to stabilize her and keep her comfortable. He instructed his younger brothers to call for an ambulance and contact their dad.
Minutes later, Adi Jane’s father rushed home to find his daughter unresponsive in the midst of a seizure that would last seven long minutes. Panicked, he called her mother and asked her to meet them at the hospital. As EMS arrived, they worked through possible causes—whether it was a head injury from the trampoline, a stroke, or a seizure.
After what felt like hours in the emergency room, a CT scan revealed news that would change the Pike family’s lives forever. Doctors discovered a mass on Adi Jane’s brain, though they were unsure of exactly what it was. Panic set in as her parents could think only of their little girl—the youngest of four children and their only daughter.
The local hospital recommended that Adi Jane be immediately transferred to UK Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, for further evaluation and care.
Upon arriving at UK Chandler Hospital’s Emergency Room, life became a blur for the Pike family. Questions flooded their minds, but answers were scarce. In the early hours of the morning—around 3:00 a.m.—Adi Jane was wheeled into an MRI, and what felt unimaginable soon became reality.
By 8:00 a.m., doctors confirmed that Adi Jane had a large tumor on her brain. A team of physicians and oncologists quickly developed a treatment plan, and on October 16—just six days later—Adi Jane underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor. Pathology results confirmed the diagnosis: Grade III Anaplastic Ependymoma, an extremely rare and aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer with limited research and data available.
As if the diagnosis alone wasn’t devastating enough, her parents were also told that the tumor had deleted critical genes in her body responsible for fighting cancer and achieving remission. Heartbroken but determined, Adi Jane’s parents made the decision to do whatever it took—not only to treat their only daughter, but to ensure she was safe and receiving the very best care possible.
Adi Jane's Journey Through Treatment:
Adi Jane spent November, Thanksgiving, December, Christmas, January, and New Year’s undergoing five-day-a-week proton radiation treatment at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, while her family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House. During this time, she began to understand that many other children were fighting battles just like hers—and that even in the hardest moments, there could still be light at the end of the tunnel.
At the Ronald McDonald House, Adi Jane found comfort in the toys, crafts, and activities—but what meant the most to her were the puppies. Every day, therapy dogs visited to greet the children, bringing joy, calm, and a sense of normalcy during an otherwise frightening time. Those moments made a lasting impact on her.
Because of this experience, Adi Jane dreams of having her own service dog—one trained to help detect her disease and serve as a therapy companion to ease her anxiety and fears of recurrence. But her dream goes even further. She wants to bring that same sense of comfort and hope to other children facing similar battles. Adi Jane hopes to visit hospitals with her dog and help provide therapy and service dogs to other children navigating the same fears she knows so well.
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For more information or to get involved in our mission of spreading hope and support to children battling brain cancer, please feel free to reach out to us.