News

Jul 25, 2023

Coming Together: Clatskanie community is ‘McKenna Strong’

McKenna is battling Stage 3 kidney cancer, but doesn’t let it get her spirits down. Small ties in a small town hold strong, and in the case of Jamie, Michelle, and their daughter McKenna Phillips,

McKenna is battling Stage 3 kidney cancer, but doesn’t let it get her spirits down.

Small ties in a small town hold strong, and in the case of Jamie, Michelle, and their daughter McKenna Phillips, this couldn’t be more true.

In a heartbreaking turn of events starting in June, it was discovered that McKenna had a Wilms tumor on her kidney, and the doctors informed Jamie and Michelle that it was Stage 3 cancer. The tumor was bigger than McKenna’s kidney, so doctors surgically removed her kidney and two lymph nodes below it due to inflammation.

“We were in the hospital for five or six days while she recovered. They actually told us she was the fastest five-year-old recovery that they had from a surgery,” Michelle Phillips said. “She was up and wanting to run around and play.”

With it being a Stage 3 tumor, more care is needed to help her battle the illness. McKenna underwent five or six days of radiation treatment and now must undergo chemotherapy each Friday for the next six months.

On Aug. 11, McKenna will undergo a CAT scan on her chest to investigate particles in her lungs that could be Wilms tumors. Michelle Phillips said that they could be innocent, but if they are Wilms tumors, treatment may need to be adjusted.

This has been a heart-wrenching time for Michelle and Jamie as they navigate the unknown, but McKenna’s strength through it all has given them something to hold on to.

“It’s the worst thing that you ever want to go through as a parent; nobody ever wants to go through it as a parent,” Michelle Phillips said. “It’s the toughest thing that we’re going through. But the thing is, she’s so strong and so positive it’s keeping us so strong and so positive.”

Other than not eating as much and thinning hair due to the treatment, Michelle said you would never know she is sick.

Jamie and Michelle Phillips may live in Newberg, but the Clatskanie community has rallied around them as one of their own.

Clatskanie roots

Jamie and Michelle live in Newberg, but they grew up in Clatskanie, and their parents still live there. Despite not living in Clatskanie for years, the community has rallied around the Phillips family.

“The big thing about Clatskanie, too, is Jamie and I haven’t lived there for 13 years, and they’re still taking care of us,” Michelle Phillips said.

Kathi “Jacks” Jackson has been a teacher in Clatskanie for more than 40 years, and Michelle and Jamie are her former students. When they heard about McKenna’s condition, Jackson immediately got to work figuring out how to support them.

With the help of Amy Mustola and her t-shirt printing machine, Jackson and Diane Mausen created 17 shirts with the hashtag “McKennaStrong” printed across the chest. Jackson, Mausen, and Mustola set up in front of Farmhouse Coffee, which was also doing a special fundraiser for McKenna and her family July 28.

“We didn’t sell them; we just gave them away for donations. We got over $700 in donations for 17 shirts,” Jackson said.

Jackson said that they are going to print about 15 more shirts because there is more demand for them from the community, and she expects to raise around $1,000.

“In this world today, any little positive bit like that is a great story to tell, and this community is really good about helping their own,” Jackson said.

Jackson said that the funds will give aid to Jamie and Michelle as they navigate prioritizing McKenna’s care in their everyday lives. The funds will help with medical bills and lighten the burden of taking work off and traveling for McKenna’s treatment.

The owner of Farmhouse Coffee is a neighbor of Michelle’s parents, and their fundraiser on July 28 saw $2 for every purchase made go to the Phillips. Between the two Farmhouse Coffee locations in Clatskanie and Rainier, they raised more than $890. Farmhouse has also put donation collection boxes around town, but the proceeds have not been counted yet.

In addition to those fundraisers, other friends in Clatskanie have also started a t-shirt fundraiser, and some of Michelle Phillips’ kickboxing friends started a GoFundMe, Warrior Girl McKenna, that has already raised more than $20,000.

“Every dollar is going to count because the bills are definitely adding up, and we’re thankful for every single bit that we’re getting,” Michelle Phillips said. “I just want everyone to know, from the bottom of our hearts, that we’re so grateful, so thankful for the support. ‘Thank you’ aren’t strong enough words; I don’t know how to make sure everyone knows how grateful we are.”

Going forward, Michelle Phillips said there isn’t really a timeline by which they expect McKenna to be fully healthy. The appointment on Aug. 11 will dictate many of the next steps.

While the future is uncertain, Michelle, Jamie, and McKenna Phillips are rolling with the punches, and with McKenna’s strong spirit leading the way, hopefully, a full recovery awaits. While these are difficult times, the support of the community has meant a lot, and Michelle Phillips said there are too many people to thank.

“We’re overwhelmed with joy; we can’t believe that everybody is just so amazing, especially because we haven’t been there for so long,” Michelle Phillips said. “It just really tells you how awesome a small town and community is.”

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