Donna Cochran had boxed up nearly every room in her Atlanta home-except one. Her late daughter Ansley’s bedroom stayed untouched, journals and cozy clothes exactly where the 21-year-old left them before she died in 2018 after a 19-year fight with neuroblastoma.
When Cochran finally filmed the room’s transformation for Instagram, she expected a quiet goodbye. Instead, the clip exploded to 2 million views, catapulting the Ansley Foundation-the pediatric-cancer nonprofit she and husband Lamar founded-into its biggest year yet: $250,000 raised in 2025.
**At a Glance
- A grieving mom’s Instagram video of packing her daughter’s room drew 2 million views.
- The viral moment pushed the Ansley Foundation to a record $250,000 fundraising year.
- The Georgia-based nonprofit now funds travel, meals, blankets and research for families battling childhood cancer.
- Why it matters: One raw post turned personal loss into national awareness-and real financial help-for families facing pediatric cancer.
The Room She Couldn’t Touch
Cochran, 58, admits she avoided the bedroom for years. “It was hard for me to even go in there,” she tells Sarah L. Montgomery. “But I knew I had to take the step.”
The video she shared shows the space before and after it was cleared. In the caption she wrote that packing up meant “saying goodbye again.”
From Heartbreak to Headlines
Within hours the reel surged across Instagram. Comments poured in from strangers who had lost children or watched them fight cancer. Cochran believes the visibility was no accident.
“I feel like I’m a chess piece,” she says. “She’s just putting me where I need to be,” referring to Ansley’s continuing presence.
What the Ansley Foundation Does
Founded after Ansley’s death, the volunteer-run organization:
- Pays utility bills and provides gas cards for treatment travel
- Supplies weighted blankets to kids in hospitals
- Funds pediatric-cancer research
- Covers meals for families living away from home during treatment
“Pediatric cancer brings so many other hardships with it,” Cochran notes-lost income, lodging, endless expenses.
Humble Beginnings
The Cochrans started small:
- Selling T-shirts
- Hosting pumpkin and Christmas-tree sales
- Relying on neighborhood volunteers
Momentum grew slowly until the viral video super-charged donations in 2025.
Signs from Ansley
On the day Cochran boxed the room, a rainbow stretched across the Atlanta sky. She took it as Ansley’s blessing: “She was telling us it was time to move on.”
Similar signs-song lyrics, light catching a photo-appear whenever Cochran needs reassurance. “She’s right here with us,” she insists.
The Girl Behind the Foundation
Ansley weighed only 80 pounds yet filled every room. She kept her illness secret until age 15, worked part-time, attended school and refused pity.
A tattoo of Matthew 17:20 ran down her back: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you.” The verse captured her resolve to move mountains despite cancer.
Why They Keep Fighting
“Just because she’s no longer here to fight this battle doesn’t mean we’re done,” Cochran says. “We’re going to keep fighting this. I just can’t imagine not trying to make it different for the next child.”
The foundation’s 2025 total-a quarter-million dollars-will underwrite more research grants, family stipends and comfort items. Cochran vows the work will only expand.
“We’re just going to keep going. We’re not stopping.”
This story first appeared on News Of Philadelphia.
