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Four little girls celebrate major milestone of being cancer survivors together

Posted at 4:04 AM, Aug 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-10 09:23:38-04

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Four little girls. All best friends. All cancer survivors.

Lauren, McKinley, Ava and Chloe.

Three years ago, the girls were complete strangers. The scared 2- and 3-year-olds were all admitted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg all within a short time of each other.

On this journey they and their families formed a bond going to treatments together, laughing and crying together.

Today, all four girls are heading into kindergarten/VPK in remission and off treatment.

They survived — together.

“To see these girls from day one of diagnosis, to getting called down to the lobby today (to see them celebrate),” said an emotional Staci Columbus, a nurse who has been with them from the start. “It’s the reason I became a nurse.”

Every year, in the hospital or out, Lauren, McKinley, Ava and Chloe get together for a photo.

They have no plans of ever stopping the tradition.