Help Us Fight for Emi: Our Brave Girl's Battle Against Leukemia
On Monday, July 14th, 2025, our world shattered.
Our beautiful, happy, 5-year-old daughter Eminence "Emi" Travis — who is autistic, silly, vibrant, full of light, with verbal communication and sensory challenges — was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL).
One moment we were managing a typical summer day… the next, we were told to pack our lives into bags and get to the Children’s Hospital immediately — three hours from the only home Emi has ever known. There was no time to process, no moment to breathe. Just fear… and movement.
Since that day, our lives have been turned upside down in every possible way.
On July 17th, Emi began the first of what will be 2.5 years of chemotherapy treatments. She has been through blood transfusions, sedation, spinal taps, bone marrow biopsies, and medications most adults can’t even pronounce — all in a matter of days. And yet, through it all, our girl holds tight to her stuffed Mickey and Minnie, her tablet, and a few silly songs that bring her comfort.
She is fighting with a quiet strength that humbles us.
As Emi’s parents — Mark and Katie Travis — we’ve stayed right by her side every second. There is no other option. Our daughter needs us.
But with that choice comes heartbreaking sacrifice.
Mark has filed for FMLA through his employer to remain with Emi, which means a complete loss of income for our family, and we now face the full cost of our health insurance. As a small business owner, Katie's work will also be impacted. Every moment is consumed with Emi’s care, coordination with medical teams, emotional support, and simply trying to hold it together.
We never imagined we’d be here — reaching out to our community and kind strangers — but we need your help.
💔Your Support Helps With:
We’re not just fighting Leukemia. We’re fighting to preserve a sense of normalcy, dignity, and hope for Emi and for ourselves.
Our once happy home — full of silly routines, early morning cuddles, and laughter — now sits eerily quiet. Just days ago, a loved one walked through our house to grab some essentials for us. On a video call, we directed her to collect some of Emi’s favorite things. Watching someone walk through our home felt like watching a life we can barely remember anymore.
This wasn’t just a diagnosis. It was a full uprooting. And Emi… she doesn’t even fully understand what’s happening. She just knows her body hurts. That doctors poke her a lot. That Daddy and Mommy are there to hold her tight when she’s scared and we're the first thing she sees when she wakes up.
We tell her every day: “You are safe. You are brave. You are doing an amazing job. We're right here. We love you.”
And now, we’re asking you — whoever you are — to be part of that message, too.
🙏🏼 Your prayers, love, and support mean more than we can say.
We know times are hard for many families. We know there are countless stories out there. But if you're able to help in any way — financially, through sharing Emi's story, or simply by keeping her in your thoughts and prayers — we will be forever grateful.
Your gift, no matter how small, keeps our little family afloat. It helps us show Emi that she is surrounded by love. It gives us a chance to keep walking forward in this fight — one appointment, one blood draw, one chemo dose at a time.
Emi may be small, but she’s mighty.
And together, we can show her that this world still holds so much good.
From the bottom of our hearts,
Mark, Katie, and your little warrior princess — Emi Travis
✨Ways to Help✨
🩷Team Emi Headquarters: http://msha.ke/EmbracingEmi
👚Emi's Shop: https://embracing-emi-apparel-co.printify.me/
✋🏻Send Emi a High-5: http://www.venmo.com/katiemark-travis
😊Embracing Emi FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CB2TqPF8o/
🦖Emi's story was featured on the news!
👀Check it out HERE!
...
🧡✨𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗺𝗶 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼✨🧡
What started as a hard chapter in our lives has turned into something we pray will spread hope.
We are officially launching 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗺𝗶 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼 — Emi’s very own t-shirt shop.
Every design represents strength, courage, awareness, and love. This shop was created to help support Emi as she bravely fights leukemia, while also spreading awareness for childhood cancer and autism.
Most importantly:
🧡 100% of proceeds will go directly toward expenses related to Emi’s treatment and care.
When you purchase a shirt, hoodie, or any item from our shop, you are helping carry part of this journey with us.
We will be posting new designs as they become available, and we are so grateful for every share, purchase, and prayer.
Thank you for embracing Emi.
We couldn’t do this without you.
🩷Team Emi Headquarters: http://msha.ke/EmbracingEmi
👚Emi's Shop: https://embracing-emi-apparel-co.printify.me/
✋🏻Send Emi a High-5: http://www.venmo.com/katiemark-travis
😊Embracing Emi FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CB2TqPF8o/
🦖Emi's story was featured on the news!
👀Check it out HERE!
