Four-year-old Olivia Robinson is living her best life. She enjoys dancing, gymnastics and being a big sister. From the outside looking in, her lifestyle is that of a typical preschooler, but just one year ago, her everyday life looked incredibly different.
Olivia was diagnosed with a brain tumor in September 2023, a shock that altered her life and the course of her entire family.
“You truly don’t realize how precious life is until you've gone through something like this, because you truly don't know when your world could change,” Olivia’s mom Breanna Robinson said.
Olivia was rushed into emergency surgery the very next day and immediately began treatments that lasted almost a year. As word about Olivia’s fight spread throughout the Kansas City area, it fell into the hands of Alyson Jacobsmeyer, a connection to Breanna through the Chi Omega sorority and a Regional Marketing and Philanthropy Manager at Kendra Scott.
The popular jewelry brand is known not only for its identifiable jewelry, but also for its exceptional philanthropic heart. One of the ways it supports the communities where its stores are located is by hosting “Kendra Gives Back” events. Jacobsmeyer is instrumental in planning these local events and was essential in Olivia’s special day at the Leawood store in May.
“Hosting events like we did for the Robinson family makes my job not feel like ‘work.’ It’s a unique experience when your personal passions align with your career, and for me that is fashion and giving back,” Jacobsmeyer said.
Lots of family members and friends came out to support Olivia and were surprised to see the Chick-fil-A cow in attendance too. The event doubled as Olivia’s fourth birthday party and included many personal touches, one being a specially designed purple Kendra Scott necklace for Olivia, her mom and little sister Stella.
“I was very humbled that so many people would come for our daughter that I didn't even realize were following Olivia's story,” Breanna said. “I was very grateful knowing they could make that connection to her through a necklace and part of what they were buying that day went back to her.”
Since 2017, the Leawood store has donated over $365,000 to the Kansas City community and hosted 978 events similar to Olivia’s. This day also gave the Robinson family more opportunities to spread their story about enduring childhood cancer.
“She is fighting a battle that not many people experience, but it should be known what they are going through. Childhood cancer receives four percent of funding from our national government and that’s not enough,” Breanna said. “It's so powerful to raise awareness because we can do better for our children.”
Today, Olivia is in remission. The Kendra Scott necklace she, her mom and sister share reminds them of the love and hope that have held them together this last year. But above everything, Breanna attributes her family’s strength to their faith in God and power in prayer.
“Many prayers throughout the journey were answered,” Breanna said. “We didn't know if she would wake up from surgery, talk or if she would lose her hearing or ever walk again. There are so many things that could have happened but didn't. We can't live a day without saying, ‘It's because of Him.’ Leaning on our faith and on Him is the only way that we got through it.”
To learn more about Kendra Scott's "Kendra Gives Back" events, contact Alyson Jacobmeyer at alyson.jacobsmeyer@kendrascott.com