By Sanford Children's Hospital

Rebekah Swanson was a loving young girl who enjoyed books, sports, and math. She adored being a big sister to her newborn baby brother, “Goochers” as she called him.

She didn’t know what it was like to be a big sister without cancer. Her diagnosis came just days after Ryder was born.

Her mom, Becky, knew something wasn’t right when her normally active daughter didn’t want to play outside with her friends. Becky took Bekah to Urgent Care, where she was told her needed to be ambulanced to Sanford Children’s.

She never expected to hear that Bekah’s exhaustion and side pains were the result of cancer - Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Rebekah earned her angel wings peacefully on February 15, 2014. She never lost her spirit and was a constant reminder that family comes first. Bekah will always be her mother’s hero.


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