Inglewood celebrates Evelyn Roy's 18th birthday with RadFlix fundraiser
The annual party honours the 11-year-old who died of cancer; family and community raised funds for a program helping kids manage radiation anxiety.
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On what would have been Evelyn Roy's 18th birthday, her family and hundreds of community members danced, celebrated and donated to the program born from her own struggle with cancer.
Evelyn died at 11 after battling Stage 4 neuroblastoma, cancer that develops in immature nerve tissue. On September 14, friends and strangers gathered at Campland in Inglewood for the annual birthday celebration—music, dancing, lemonade and donations to RadFlix, a program that helps children undergoing radiation reduce stress and anxiety by watching their favourite movies during treatment.
The idea came directly from Evelyn's own wishes. "Ev would have radiation and she would say, 'I wish I could just watch a movie,'" her mother Heather Roy said. "Just knowing that having that little bit of simple distraction would be so helpful."
RadFlix addresses a real gap. Children receiving radiation at adult hospitals often have to be sedated to stay still during treatment—an extra layer of stress for patients and families. "We have kids using RadFlix as young as two years old that don't need sedation, which is just absolutely remarkable," Roy said.
The Roys started with a driveway dance party in 2020, and have continued annually. The celebration draws family, close friends and people who never knew Evelyn but want to honour her memory and support the cause. Madison Nesbitt, who used to babysit Evelyn and her sister Harper, attended again this year. "I remember planning her birthdays with her when she was going through treatment and just in life, she would always plan her birthday party well in advance," Nesbitt said. "I'm just coming out to celebrate her and who she is."
For the family, the ritual serves a dual purpose. "We find a lot of healing and action," Heather Roy said. "Being able to do this every year for her has just meant a lot to our healing process, but also in that idea of being able to very tangibly know and recognize that people still remember her and honour her and want to keep her memory alive as much as we do."
September is childhood cancer awareness month. The event continues a seven-year tradition of turning private grief into public remembrance and practical support for other children facing what Evelyn endured.
At a glance
Where did the RadFlix fundraiser take place?
The event was held at Campland in Inglewood on Monday, September 14, 2026.
What is RadFlix and who does it help?
RadFlix is a program that helps children undergoing radiation reduce stress and anxiety by watching their favourite movies during treatment. Children as young as two years old have used it and avoided the need for sedation during radiation therapy.
Why was RadFlix created?
Evelyn Roy, who died of Stage 4 neuroblastoma at age 11, wished she could watch movies during her radiation treatments. Her family created RadFlix to address her desire for distraction and to help other children manage the stress of radiation therapy.
