All About Ari – A Childhood Cancer Survivor

Every year, Hasbro Children’s Hospital chooses a patient who has overcome the odds in a spectacular way – they are our champion child.

Ariana Taft was diagnosed with Stage V Wilms tumor in 2020. She was only four and a half years old. Ariana woke up one morning and presented with a lump on her side, May of 2020. She was immediately brought to the Hasbro Children’s Hospital emergency room, and the tumor was identified right away. Two days later, Ari was admitted, and underwent a 6-hour surgery. And despite it all, she woke with a smile on her face. She continued with chemo and radiation through the end of August. She, and her family, are happy to say that she is now cancer-free, and comes to the hospital every few months for check-ups.

From day one, the Child Life specialists at Hasbro Children’s were playing with her, and we’ve found that they treat every child like a superstar.”

Ryan Taft, Ari’s father

To everyone who has contributed in any way to the fight to find a cure, we at Hasbro Children’s Hospital thank you. Children like Ari deserve to live a full and simple life, unburdened by the reality of such serious health complications. We will not give up the hope that, one day, no child will need to muster the strength, courage, and conviction that our Champion Children, and all of our pediatric patients, do. But in the meantime, we continue to treat our patients with dignity and care, and remind them that they will always be our champions.