CLF 2023 North Texas Giving Day

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and North Texas Giving Day both fall in the month of September this year, and we ask you to join our family to raise funds to benefit the Carson Leslie Foundation.

Kyle was a direct beneficiary of the wonderful mental health support programs offered by the Carson Leslie Foundation during his diagnosis and treatment.  The Foundation's mission aligns perfectly with the Kyle's Legacy.

CLF's COLLABORATIVE MISSION of helping kids fight cancer is shaped by three distinct pillars.

✅ cureMEdullo research initiative identifies and invests in low toxic medulloblastoma (brain cancer) research.

✅ HEARTS of GOLD hootenanny, Carson's Corner at Children's Hospital & Under Armour Backpack programs address the mental health challenges of kids in the battle.

✅ Advocate for policy changes benefiting the overall state of childhood cancer.

Kyle's Story:

In 2007, three-year-old Kyle was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a large malignant tumor that was growing in his cerebellum. The golf-ball-sized tumor was living in the part of the brain that impacts muscle coordination, balance, and movement. For months, Kyle toddled on clumsily before it was discovered. Days after his diagnosis, Kyle had a full resection surgery followed by a few weeks of sedated radiation. 

As Kyle grew, he was thriving. When old enough, he was delighted to attend school with his older brother, Campbell. A student at George Anderson Elementary School, Kyle he had many friends in all grades and was adored by the entire faculty. He is known for his responsibility and diligence at school, and loved Math, Science, and Art. Kyle always thought of others first and loved to make everyone feel special. Passionate about finger painting, he was compelled to create and give one-of-a-kind paintings to everyone he knew. 

In 2013, on the 5-year anniversary, Kyle was scheduled for his routine MRI. We hoped another clean scan would designate Kyle as a survivor, but it showed the cancer had returned. An inoperable new form of brain cancer, Anaplastic Astrocytoma, was a result of the initial radiation treatment. We began palliative treatment with radiation 2x day and chemo capsules. The treatment impacted Kyle’s speech, and ability to walk making him wheelchair-bound. 

Kyle hated losing his independence and worried his teachers by pushing his wheelchair as a walker instead of allowing anyone to push him around. He did not want to miss school and would insist he continue to attend. When he fell asleep in class, his teachers let him. 

On September 11, 2014, he was proudly sworn in as a Police Officer (badge 173) for the City of Frisco, of Collin and Denton Counties in the State of Texas. 

On October 18, 2014, Kyle slipped away in the company of family and beloved pets. 

A memorial scholarship endowment has been created with Allen High School for graduating students who are pursuing careers in education, animal science, or the Arts. In the last 10 years, there have been 15 high school students who have received the Kyle Murray Memorial Scholarship, including a few of his Anderson classmates.