38th annual KILLEBREW-thompson memorial golf tournament

Survivor Story
Hope Sagan
Five-year-old Hope Sagan of Caldwell, Idaho is now
active and gregarious—and two years cancer-free.
She loves playing basketball with her dad, dancing,
running, coloring, drawing, and watching “Wreck-it
Ralph.” Her favorite colors are pink, purple, and blue.
Her favorite school subject is math—she likes adding
and subtracting things, says her mom Kirsten Sagan.
But Hope wasn’t always lively and outgoing, says her
mother. Before she was diagnosed with leukemia at the
age of one, Hope was quiet and reserved. She also was
sick for three months with flu and cold-like symptoms.
Kirsten lost her job because she took frequent time off
to care for her daughter. After numerous trips to the
doctor, Hope was finally diagnosed during a trip to
the emergency room.
“I felt like I went into fight or flight mode,” Kirsten
says of facing the disease.
From September 2009 through May 2012, Hope
received chemotherapy treatment at St. Luke’s
Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) and St.
Luke’s Children’s Hospital in Boise.
“There were definitely hard times… times she would
cry and couldn’t stop,” Kirsten says. “But there was
always hope.”
Kirsten says Hope’s diagnosis made the family’s prior
financial challenges seem small.
“You look at situations that seem so hopeless, and you
realize how small your problems are and how great
you have it,” she says.
In spite of the challenges she’s faced, Hope often
displays gratefulness and thoughtfulness. “I gave her
a puzzle and she thanked me for four days,” Kirsten
says.
The family is also thankful for the excellent care and
support they received from the staff at St. Luke’s.
Kirsten says the name Hope suits her daughter.
She expects Hope will grow up to be a life coach or
something that inspires people.
As participants and sponsors of the Killebrew-
Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament, you touch
lives like Hope’s every day. Your support for vital
medical research has greatly increased cure and
“Hope loves life, She just
has such a different outlook on life,
straightforward and honest. She brings hope into
everything.” ~ Kristen Sagan.
survival rates, as well as quality of life for children and
adults with cancer. You make an incredible impact on
research scientists, clinicians, and the patients they
serve at St. Luke’s MSTI, the University of Minnesota
Cancer Research Center, and around the globe.
20 38th annual KILLEBREW-thompson memorial golf tournament