Charlie’s Lemonade Stand Supporting Destiny
Through Charlie’s Lemonade Stand we hope
to directly impact the families fighting
pediatric cancer. This years recipient Destiny’sstory is below as told by her mother:
“Destiny is 9 years old
4th grader at Pelham Ridge Elementary
Parents are Dustin Riekeberg and Lacretia Riekeberg
Destiny Riekeberg, our sassy, sweet, and talented daughter was diagnosed with a rare childhood liver cancer, hepatoplastoma, occurring in 1 out of million kids. Upon further observation, it was discovered that she actually had hepatocellular neoplasm not otherwise specified, even more rare, occurring 1 out of 2 million kids. Before diagnosis she was our very talented, athletic kid excelling in competition dance, competition cheerleading and softball. Destiny is not your average kid and nothing about her cancer was average either. Destiny begin showing acute symptoms during Christmas break of 2019. She had excruciating shoulder pain followed by even worse belly pain. She refused to get out of bed the entire Christmas break. We took her to an ER in Missouri on Christmas break where she had a CT scan, she also went to 2 other clinics and then finally to her pediatrician. Everyone misdiagnosed her with constipation. Finally we were told to go to children’s hospital. On the way there, God gave me a sign. Cancer! My daughter looked like a cancer patient! She had gotten so pail and weak. I immediately dismissed it! I said no that’s not it and besides I couldn’t be one of those parents. I couldn’t do it. Well that very night, my earlier vision was confirmed. Doctors informed me and my husband that our one and only daughter, in fact, had cancer.
Destiny’s tumor ruptured a week after diagnosis. Thank goodness we were already inpatient. She had to have emergency surgery and lost all her body’s blood and more. She was in the ICU for 3 months, bedwritten, on the ventilator, and had to be put on dialysis. Destiny developed many complications while in the ICU. One of the doctors spoke to me in private and said it was going to take a miracle to get her out of there.
She defied all the odds stacked against her. She got off the ventilator when doctors said she would need a trache, her kidneys started fully functioning again, so she got off dialysis as well when we were told she would need a kidney transplant. After 3 months in the ICU, she was able to finally transition back up to 8QB. Then finally home after that.
Destiny still has a long road ahead. She has to learn to walk again. We also have to find a treatment that her rare cancer will respond too. After months of trying unconventional and different chemos, her cancer has unfortunately spread to her lungs and abdomen. But despite all of this, Destiny has continued to LIVE and LOVE life throughout this journey. Her faith is incredible and she inspires thousands of people all over the world.
The doctors are unsure if they can cure her. And thank goodness we don’t put our faith in conventional medicine. Our Faith is in our Heavenly Father who has sustained us this entire time. We believe our Destiny will be healed! “
Destiny was recently sent home on hospice
care and told “nothing could be done” but we
are still hoping and praying for a miracle.
Please support this family as you feel led. 
Destiny Mother Facebook link to page