A Girl & A Gun Marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with Donation to the Cooper Trooper Foundation

AUSTIN, TX – (AGirlandAGun.org) – In recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, A Girl & A Gun (AG & AG) has donated $5,000 to the Cooper Trooper Foundation. The donation was made possible by AG & AG and the generosity of its members and supporters, including proceeds from the sale of Childhood Cancer Awareness and Unstoppable AF shirts, with $5 from each shirt donated to the foundation, as well as Cancer Awareness targets.

For AG & AG, the cause is deeply personal. On April 9, 2015, Kiara, the then-5-year-old daughter of AG & AG President and CEO Robyn Sandoval, was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor and rushed into emergency surgery. The diagnosis came just one week before the league’s 3rd Annual National Conference, where more than 300 women rallied around the Sandoval family with prayers and messages sent straight to Kiara’s ICU room. That outpouring inspired the league’s motto, “It’s More Than Shooting.”

In the chaos that followed, as the family juggled surgeries, treatments, therapies, and Kiara’s vision loss while trying to keep life normal for her two brothers, the Sandovals received a Courage Kit from the Cooper Trooper Foundation. The book inside helped Sandoval talk with her sons about their feelings and fears during their sister’s illness.

“When Kiara was diagnosed, our family was exhausted, frightened, and lost. The Courage Kit from the Cooper Trooper Foundation gave me a way to talk with my boys about what they were going through, and it helped me support all three of my children in the ways they needed,” said Sandoval. “That simple gift helped make our family whole again. Our members’ generosity means other families can receive that same lifeline.”

AG & AG has supported the Cooper Trooper Foundation since 2015. Today, Kiara is 16 and continues to face every challenge with remarkable strength and determination. Her journey has included five brain surgeries, 17 months of weekly chemotherapy infusions, 24 months of daily oral chemotherapy, and the complete loss of her eyesight. Now, more than 11 years after her diagnosis, Kiara is awaiting the tumor board’s review of her latest MRI. If it confirms that her condition remains stable, she will transition from the cancer clinic to survivorship care.

The Cooper Trooper Foundation was founded in Franklin, Tennessee, by Rod and Missy Cook after their youngest son, Cooper, was diagnosed with a rare cancer at just eight weeks old. The family-run foundation provides Courage Kits to the “well siblings” of children diagnosed with cancer, given to parents at the time of diagnosis to help address siblings’ emotional needs at a time when they often feel left out. The foundation also invests in the Cooper Trooper Foundation Pediatric Cancer Research Endowment Fund at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. According to the foundation, only about 3% of the federal cancer research budget goes specifically to pediatric cancer.

“Thank you so very much,” said Missy Cook of the Cooper Trooper Foundation. “This is really generous and we appreciate your support through the years!”

AG & AG also works to raise awareness of the signs of pediatric brain cancer so families can get help quickly: ataxia (poor balance), nausea, headaches, fatigue, and blurred vision.

The Childhood Cancer Awareness and Unstoppable AF shirts ($29.99) and Cancer Awareness targets are available at AGirlandAGun.org.

About A Girl & A Gun
Founded in 2011, A Girl & A Gun is a women-only organization created by women shooters for women shooters. The league welcomes beginners to learn safe and accurate pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooting while offering experienced shooters advanced training and competition opportunities. With members in all 50 states and chapters at hundreds of ranges nationwide, AG & AG builds community through education, recreation, competition, and sisterhood. Through its Giving Back program, the league supports causes that affect its members, including pediatric cancer, domestic violence awareness, and training for women in law enforcement. Learn more at AGirlandAGun.org.

About the Cooper Trooper Foundation
The Cooper Trooper Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Franklin, Tennessee, whose mission is to champion the fight against childhood cancer through sibling support and research funding. The foundation distributes Courage Kits to siblings of children diagnosed with cancer and supports pediatric cancer research at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Learn more at coopertrooper.org.