Meet Grady: Dell Children’s 2026 Art of Giving Ambassador

“I like it when you do something really hard. When you’re finished, you’re relieved, and you have a great story to tell.”

Those are the wise-beyond-his-years words of nine-year-old Grady Nipper—third grader, amateur jewelry-maker, and soccer hopeful. At an age when most children are focused on playground games and after-school snacks, Grady has already faced one of life’s hardest battles—and come through with a story worth sharing.

The Diagnosis No Family Expects

Grady was just five years old—still in pre-K—when small but unsettling signs began to appear. His pants were getting looser, not tighter, unusual for a growing boy. His skin developed a yellow tint. Then came a giant bruise that changed everything.

“It took my breath away when I saw it,” his mom, Ashley, remembers. “It was huge, and Grady didn’t even know it was there. That was the final straw. We went to the pediatrician the next morning, and within hours, we were sent to Dell Children’s. I’ll never forget walking through the doors and hearing, ‘You must be Grady.’ They were waiting for us.”

The diagnosis: B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)—the most common form of childhood leukemia, and one that can be treated successfully if caught early. What began as a bruise marked the start of more than two years of treatment.

Strategies for Surviving

The road to a cure was grueling: rounds of chemotherapy, dozens of lumbar punctures, painful injections, immunotherapy backpacks that sometimes tugged at his port, and the soreness after it was finally removed.

“It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Grady said.

But even as a little boy, Grady found gentle strategies—his own little playbook—for getting through the hardest moments. With the help of a Child Life specialist at Dell Children’s, he learned calming breathing tricks: “smelling the birthday cake,” “blowing out the candle,” and “cooling down a hot slice of pizza.” Before shots, he used numbing cream and his trusty “buzzy bee,” and when things felt overwhelming, he counted in chunks or let his whole body relax into what he called going “Zen.” These small but powerful tools helped him feel brave, one step at a time.

“One thing the nurses did so well was give him a sense of control,” Ashley said. “They let him choose the tools, and that made him braver. Grady’s always been independent and strong-willed—those traits carried him through.”

Finding Light in Dark Times

For the Nippers, the hardest seasons often carried unexpected moments of beauty. Friday nights sometimes meant ER visits, but one night, after hours inside, Grady and his mom stepped out to see the parking garage glowing like a rainbow. “We just stopped and stared,” Ashley recalls. “It felt like a gift after such a hard day.”

There was laughter too—family “buzz parties” when Grady’s hair began to fall out, friends who showed up to lift spirits, and nurses who quickly became like family.

And there was Dr. Donald Wells, Grady’s oncologist. “He never sugarcoated things, and he was very clear and direct,” Ashley says. “That gave us so much comfort. We are forever grateful to Dr. Wells and his entire team – they saved our sweet boy.”

Looking Ahead

Now, more than two years after treatment, Grady is healthy, thriving, and filled with plans for the future.

“When I grow up, I want to be a jewelry maker, a soccer player, a tennis player—and work at Chick-fil-A. Maybe I’ll just do all of them,” says Grady.

And to kids just beginning their own journey, he offers encouragement straight from the heart:
“I hope you can make it through. I think you will. You probably will. This is common, and you’re going to do great.”

An Ambassador with a Story to Tell

For Grady and his family, cancer will never define them, but it has shaped them in profound ways.

“I don’t wish this on anyone,” Ashley says. “But even in the hardest times, there was so much good. We’ve all been changed forever—in a way that’s made us stronger.”

This year, as Dell Children’s Art of Giving Ambassador, Grady will share his story to inspire generosity, spread hope, and remind families facing similar diagnoses that they are never alone.

His courage, his coping strategies, and his big heart make him the perfect Ambassador to represent Dell Children’s—proof that even the hardest journeys can become stories worth telling