Instead, as the grandparents, Ruth and Roger wrapped Maddox and his family in their brave, tender, and steady arms, especially when Maddox passed away just shy of his 3rd birthday. Now, Ruth and Roger are NC4K Champions, who honor Maddox's life by showing up for other families fighting childhood cancer.

"He loved people," Roger told us. "Even when he was sick, if he could play, he would play." He was "all boy", a climber, a runner, and a hand-holder who loved being outside. He also loved being with his people. "If he could play, he would play," Roger repeated. "That's who he was."

Ruth shared how their faith anchored them throughout the storm of Maddox’s illness and the aftermath. "Everybody has a journey," she said. "We never got mad at God. We thought this was the worst thing, but others go through unique challenges too." That perspective, honest, grounded, full of grace, helped them move through an unthinkable season with compassion for themselves and for others walking their own hard roads.

They remember the small things that held them up: meal and gas gift cards, trees planted in his honor, and a church community that stood in the gap. They express gratitude for a friend who created a photo of Maddox with angel wings. "It really helped me," Ruth said. "I see him as an angel looking down on us."

They also witnessed the practical realities of living life in the face of a tough diagnosis: transportation costs, time away from work, the everydayness of bills that don't pause for cancer. When the Tedricks attended an NC4K event in September 2024, they saw the mission up close. "This makes a difference," Roger said. “The logistics and the cost, yes, we've lived this." They decided to get involved: volunteering, giving, advocating, and sharing their defining experience.

Their family's connection to NC4K is personal and mutual. Ruth noticed it right away: "You say Maddox's name. You treat families as people, not patients. That makes all the difference," she said. 

That people-first approach is baked into everything we do. We provide financial support, special experiences, and community events (our "events for play") to remind families they're not alone. It’s these practical considerations that might even seem like small gestures at that time, that Ruth says can make all the difference.

"Don't overthink a kind gesture - just do it. I often got a text at just the right time or once someone dropped off homemade bread and jam that just warmed our hearts. Sometimes those acts of kindness are what get you through a tough day," said Ruth as she smiled through tears.

One of Ruth's favorite "small moments" is bike riding with Sadie, Maddox's sister and her granddaughter. She taught Sadie to ride in the backyard, then they started looping the middle school track, five miles, talking when words come and noticing the trees when they don't. It's ordinary and sacred at the same time, a steady rhythm of trust. Love looks like that, too.

The Tedricks carry a message for two groups:

To families: "Accept the gifts that come your way. Don't feel guilty for one second." This road requires courage, help, and community. You deserve all three.

To supporters: If you feel a nudge, act on it. "Just do it," Ruth says. "Don't overthink whether someone will want it. Give from your heart." Your card, your casserole, your gas gift card, your company's sponsorship, your time, it all matters.

Reminders of Maddox still appear in the simplest, most beautiful ways. "When I see a cardinal, I know it's him," Ruth said. For her, the cardinal isn't just a sign. It's Maddox, close by, still finding ways to show up. Love leaves traces like that.

It also leaves a legacy. Families supported, rent and utilities paid, gas in the tank, food on the table, and moments of joy reclaimed.

That legacy was visible at the 2025 NC4K Fashion Show. During the finale, Maddox’s sister and two cousins stepped onto the runway, each carrying a Mickey, one of Maddox’s favorite characters,  in his memory. Backstage, when the girls learned what they would carry, they paused together and let the meaning settle in. Then they took the stage together, Maddox’s sister holding hers the way a sister holds a memory close. It was a small and mighty moment: tender, brave, and unforgettable.

Thank you, Ruth and Roger, for loving out loud. For reminding us that the way through is together. For showing that grief can become generosity, and memory can become motion. For helping us make sure that No Kid Fights Cancer Alone.

If you'd like to honor a child like Maddox or stand with families in treatment, we'd be grateful to have you with us, volunteering, giving, or simply sharing this story so others find their way to community and care.