Maryland Trek
with Justin Berk
Age: 1
Type of Cancer: Neuroblastoma
Treatment Status: End of treatment pending final scans
Route: Elkridge to Through Annapolis Then Across Kent Island
Feature: Kids Trek Too on The B & A Trail And our Boat Ride Across The Chesapeake Bay with Walter George
Total Miles = 40: 26 on foot, (6 miles on boat), 14 on bike
Video
Violette was just a few weeks old when her parents knew something wasn’t right. She cried constantly, struggled to eat, and quickly began losing weight. After a two-week hospital stay at just five weeks old, she was diagnosed with severe reflux and sent home on continuous tube feeds. But her mom, Lauren, knew in her gut that wasn’t the whole story.
For months, Lauren and her husband Joe pushed for answers—through vomiting, feeding struggles, and hospital readmissions. It wasn’t until a return to Johns Hopkins in October that the truth finally emerged. An ultrasound showed that Violette’s liver had quadrupled in size and was now covered in tumors. She was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, and the original tumor on her adrenal gland had likely developed in utero.
Violette’s liver was so enlarged that it had compressed her stomach completely. She began chemotherapy immediately and would go on to complete six rounds of treatment. Despite complications with feeding, hospital stays, and months of TPN (IV nutrition), Violette never lost her spark. Her family says she faced it all with a smile—and she quickly became known as “the baby with the giant IV pole” on the hospital floor.
Today, Violette is nearing the end of her treatment journey. Her liver has returned to nearly normal size, her remaining tumors are shrinking, and her doctors are hopeful they’ll become benign. If all goes as planned, she’ll have her central line removed and ring the bell this August.
Through every setback, Violette’s strength—and her family’s relentless advocacy—shined. “I just kept telling the doctors: I know my baby. Something is wrong,” Lauren said. “Had they done an MRI earlier, her treatment might have looked completely different. But we’re so grateful she’s here, and she’s thriving.”
Violette is the youngest of four children, and her older siblings—especially her 9-year-old sister Willow—have been her biggest cheerleaders. Willow now dreams of becoming a pediatric oncologist to help babies like her sister. “She’s like a second mom,” Lauren said. “She just wants to help.”
Just In Power Kids provided parking passes, meals through the Clean Cuisine program, and support that showed up at just the right time. “Those passes made a big difference,” Lauren said. “And even just receiving a kind note or having someone recognize you in the waiting room—those little things matter when you’re in the middle of a fight.”
On Day 5 of the Maryland Trek, we honor Violette and her journey—from pain and perseverance to hope and healing. Her mom said it best:
“She’s just our little rock star. And she’s done it all with a smile on her face.”
