Fort Myers family celebrates toddler’s cancer recovery journey

Reporter: Amanda Hall
Published: Updated:

Two-year-old Sophia Strange is a bright and bubbly toddler fighting an aggressive blood cancer. Despite her battle, she continues to steal the hearts of everyone around her.

Sophia was born with Down syndrome, and her extra chromosome makes her more likely to develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML) before the age of five.

Sophia’s mother, Shannon Strange, noticed petechiae spots and extra bruises on her daughter shortly after her second birthday.

“I saw like little spots randomly. I saw like little patches, and then I started to see a couple extra bruises,” said Shannon.

Tests confirmed Shannon and her husband Greg’s worst fears: Sophia had cancer.

Sophia’s baby brother, Anthony, was only six weeks old when she began intense treatment, requiring the family to essentially live in the hospital for seven months.

“We’re lucky. Both kids are so young they won’t remember,” said Shannon.

Shannon has adopted a new mantra during this challenging time.

“Life can change. You know, just be grateful. Be thankful that you have healthy friends, family, and you get to enjoy your babies at home, because it can change quickly,” said Shannon.

Sophia completed her last round of chemotherapy two weeks ago. When her counts go back up, she will finally get to go home.

“She’s a miracle,” said Shannon. “She just walks around and she takes it with grace, and she just gives everyone a smile, even on hard days.”

Sophia’s prognosis is very good, and her family is looking forward to starting their life as a family of four.

A.I. assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here to see how WINK News uses A.I.

Copyright ©2025 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.