CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cancer is a scary word to hear, especially for a child. But that’s the word 9-year-old Olivia Reardon heard in November of 2021, when doctors diagnosed her with a rare form of pediatric cancer called aveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the paranasal sinuses.

According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s a soft tissue tumor.

“I was very sad and nervous,” Olivia said. "I didn’t know what I was going to be able to do.”

This is not the first time she’s received a scary diagnosis.

Her mother, Christina Meyers, says Olivia was born with a congenital heart defect and had her first heart surgery at only 1 month old. She then spent six years in and out of the hospital.

Her family says from the time she was 6 years old up until 9 years old, she had no health issues. That was until her cancer diagnosis.

At first, Olivia referred to her cancer as “Bob.”

“I didn’t like the word cancer and me and my mom were trying to make up a name,” she said.

Meyers says her daughter had two different surgeries to reduce the tumor, radiation to treat the remaining tumor, and she’s also going through chemotherapy.

She also received some good news recently. Olivia's latest scan showed no evidence of disease. But her family says she still has a bit of a journey ahead.

Olivia will continue her chemotherapy treatment, but this good news comes at a good time.

Her 10th birthday is in August, which also marks her halfway point through chemo.

To celebrate her birthday, Olivia and her family presented a $500,000 charitable gift from the OliviaStrong Foundation to Novant Health Hemby Children's Hospital to thank the team of experts who have been caring for her since birth. 

Olivia's family started the OliviaStrong Foundation to raise awareness about pediatric cancer and raise money to help find a cure.

So far, they say they’ve raised more than $200,000.

You can head here to learn how to get involved.