Two local Virginia high-schoolers are making a difference in the lives of families who have been impacted by a cancer diagnosis.

We recently had the privilege of chatting with the two young women behind Our Perfect Warrior, a local foundation whose mission is to give a helping hand to families dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Anna Lockhart and Riley Castellano were inspired to create the foundation when Riley’s mom, Kim Castellano, died of breast cancer in 2018. They saw first hand the impact a cancer diagnosis can have on a family, and how a few helping hands in the community can make an enormous difference.

Our Perfect Warrior offers a range of ways to help. Their “chemo care packages” are borne out of some of the little but meaningful things Riley saw being helpful to her mom when she was sick: blankets to keep the patient warm; chapstick for the chapped lips that sometimes come with treatment; coloring books to distract from the tedium of weekly or daily infusions of the chemotherapy drugs. As Riley and Anna point out, every patient is unique and has different needs, so they are interested in getting to know what exactly would be most needed and appreciated by each individual they are helping.

Riley also experienced first-hand how much a ride to sports practice or a homemade meal was to her family while her mom was battling cancer, so Our Perfect Warrior works to help families with everyday things like this. These young women want to make sure that others who are touched by cancer know that there is a network of people out there who are ready and willing to be helpful, and they hope that their organization makes it easier for families to reach out for the support they need during a difficult and emotional time.

Here at Burnett and Williams one of our primary focuses is on strengthening our communities. We believe that  we can all have a positive impact in our world, and Riley and Anna exemplify how we are all stronger when we help each other out and hold each other up, especially during life’s most challenging times. Thanks Anna and Riley for working so hard to make our community an even better, kinder place!