Mom clears daughter’s room years after death—no idea what it would lead to

A woman grieving the death of her daughter from childhood cancer finally had to face the task of clearing out her bedroom—and ended up experienced something incredible.

Donna Cochran, from Cartersville in Georgia, lost her youngest daughter, Ansley, to cancer seven years ago, at the age of 21.

Ansley had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma at just two years old, and bravely battled the disease—along with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, tests, surgeries and hospital stays—for 19 years, with her mother by her side every step of the way.

“Through it all, she remained resilient. She leaned on her faith. She never once asked, ‘Why me?'”, Cochran told Newsweek.

“The Ansley Foundation was born from a promise I made the night she passed away. Ansley was no longer here to fight her cancer, but I knew I would spend the rest of my life fighting for children like her—so that no other family would have to bury their child because of this devastating disease.”

Cochran has spent the majority of the last decade raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer and research, as well as supporting children and families who are going through the devastating medical journey.

Now, millions more people have learned about The Ansley Foundation after Cochran shared her grief at having to clear out her daughter’s childhood bedroom.

In a video shared on January 3 to Cochran’s Instagram page @ansleyfoundation, viewed more than 2 million times, Cochran showed Ansley’s bedroom—filled with unusual ornaments and decorations showing her personality—followed by the bare room after they had cleared everything away.

She wrote: “It took us 7 years, but we finally packed up our daughter’s room after childhood cancer won.”

A caption read: “Her room had basically stayed the same since she left us. Packing it up wasn’t just about cleaning or moving things, it was about holding onto her, saying goodbye again, and remembering the incredible life she lived for all 21 years of it.

“Grief doesn’t follow a timeline. But we moved and it was time. But even in that ache, there’s love and memories. And the deep knowledge that she changed lives and will always be with us.”

Cochran explained to Newsweek: “Recently, we moved from the home we lived in for over 27 years. It took a long time to prepare ourselves emotionally to leave the place where we raised Ansley and her sister, Ashtyn. Ansley’s room had remained untouched since she passed, and I waited until the very last moment to pack it.

“Even knowing she no longer needed any of her belongings, going through her clothes, her desk, and the things she loved felt like losing her all over again.”

Cochran made the difficult decision to show this moment online because, she says, “I know firsthand how little attention childhood cancer receives.”

“I believe it’s important to share not only our successes but also the hard moments. Most people cannot truly understand the devastation left behind after a pediatric cancer diagnosis. But if even one of our videos reaches someone new and raises awareness, then I am keeping my promise.”

And her video flew further than she could have ever imagined, with 2.1 million views, more than 120,000 likes, and thousands of supportive comments.

“I don’t care how long it’s been, that’s a tough decision to make,” one wrote, as another admitted: “My grandma died in 2018 and I still can’t bring myself to open her perfume bottle…grief is a strong and powerful thing. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Another asked: “Can we talk about how brave this was?,” while one praised: “This must have been so emotional. I’m sure there were a flood of memories as you went through her items and sat in the same places that she played. Sending extra love to you all.”

Cochran told Newsweek that it was a “dream come true” to see the video go viral, as “for a small nonprofit like ours, a viral moment can be life‑changing—not just for our social media presence, but for what it means for childhood cancer awareness. Every view, like, and share brings more visibility to a disease that is stealing far too many children.”

According to the American Cancer Society, Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer in infants less than one year old, with between 600 and 800 diagnoses made each year in the US. On average, children are diagnosed between the ages of one and two.

The disease develops in a child’s nerve tissue, and can metastasize to other parts of the body, including the bones, liver and brain.

Speaking about The Ansley Foundation and urging others to follow along via their website and social media accounts, Cochran recalled starting “small” by selling t-shirts and hosting local events, and has since founded The Ansley Weighted Blanket Program in Atlanta, where “any child undergoing cancer treatment can receive a weighted blanket or weighted animal to bring comfort and strength during their fight.”

“Today, we partner with Hapag‑Lloyd for an annual golf tournament and host a local evening event featuring dinner, raffles, and a live auction. In 2025, we had a record‑breaking year, raising more than $250,000 for research and family support.”