When 4-year-old Corinne Finnerty was diagnosed with stage IV Wilms’ tumor in September 2024, her parents, Mike and Caitlin, were suddenly navigating a world of scans, specialists and treatment decisions. The pineapple-sized tumor in her kidney had metastasized and spread to her lungs.

“There are really no words to describe what we were feeling,” Mike says. “We were searching for answers, and there were just more questions. But what came after that was an education that we never thought that we would need.”

Wilms’ tumor, also called nephroblastoma, is one of the most common pediatric kidney cancers; it typically affects children under age 5. While many cases are diagnosed at an early stage with favorable outcomes, stage IV disease like Corinne had require aggressive treatment.

Mike and Caitlin sought specialized care from pediatric cancer experts from UT MD Anderson and Texas Children’s Hospital, who worked together to create a coordinated plan for treating Corinne’s advanced disease.

Corrine underwent tumor and kidney removal surgery and chemotherapy at Texas Children’s, followed by radiotherapy at UT MD Anderson.

“We’ve benefited from both of these institutions, and the two of them now coming together to form Kinder Children’s Cancer Center is a reflection of the people who work at Texas Children's and at UT MD Anderson. They both have delivered world-class care for a very long time, and now they’re creating a new world-class institution,” Mike says.

Now that Corinne is finished with cancer treatment, the vibrant and funny 5-year-old is back in school and preparing to start kindergarten next year. She’s joined a baseball team, and when she isn't on the field or in school, she spends most of her time sticking close to her older brother, Bennett.

“We recognize that Corinne's diagnosis and her treatment plan is the result of years of research that have gone into the best care that can be given in the world, and we also recognize that there are so many other cancers that continue to be researched to drive better outcomes,” Caitlin says.

For families like Corinne's, Kinder Children’s Cancer Center represents the future of pediatric cancer care, one in which specialists work side by side, research moves quickly from lab to the clinic, and children receive highly specialized treatment designed specifically for their needs.

“I just want to say thank you. Thank you to these doctors and the nurses that give so much of their time and energy to these families and these kids, and how much it means to us,” Caitlin says. “And it won't be forgotten, ever.”