Anastasia Keen
2001 –2003
2003 Community Hero
No one ever left Ana’s hospital room without a sticker. She especially loved sharing the ones with rainbow hearts and flowers. Two year old "Ana-banana" always had a smile or an “I love you” in sign language. Ana also loved to play music and listen to Dr. Seuss books read by her father Jim.
Before she could crawl, Ana was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a form of blood cancer. Despite the endless pokes, rounds of chemotherapy and ongoing pain, Ana found a way to smile and sing along to 'Old MacDonald,' chiming in with a 'moo-moo' here and an 'oink-oink' there. She learned to make the best of the struggles she faced in her isolated hospital room.
Hospital staff looked forward to Ana's magical wagon trips around the unit floor, waving like a queen and blowing kisses, greeting all those she passed. Her sister, Amanda thinks that "heroes have lots of courage and Ana is one of them." Her strong and loving spirit continues to inspire others everyday.
