SPREADING SMILES

Operation Heroes Unite Celebrates Cancer Warrior's Birthday

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Xander Keith’s fourth birthday party was originally supposed to be a low-key celebration with a few of his friends. “I was just going to buy pizza for the kids and let them play at the park. Then Megan [Beatty] found out it was his birthday,” Xander’s mom and Jarrell resident Linsey Keith says. Linsey and Megan are in the same cancer moms group, and when Megan found out Xander’s cancer had returned in January and that his birthday was also coming up, she said, “We have to do something.”

Uplifting Warriors

In 2018, Megan’s daughter Haley, then 6 years old, was diagnosed with a brain tumor and a type of cancer called medulloblastoma. One silver lining of their difficult journey turned out to be a group of neighbors who threw Haley a birthday bash complete with horses, Santa and Mrs. Claus, the Grinch, a clown, face painter, ice sculpture, tons of food, and a magnificent three-tiered cake. “I’ll never forget the feeling I had when complete strangers came to do something so nice—knowing people who didn’t even know us heard our story and it touched them.”

Megan has been passing on that kindness ever since by throwing birthday parties for other kids battling cancer. Her nonprofit, Operation Heroes Unite, organizes lively parties that include laser tag, bounce houses, and car parades, plus special appearances from iconic superheroes and beloved Disney characters. For every event, regardless of the activities, the focus of all the joyful chaos is a happy child who gets to step away from his or her diagnosis and relish being like other kids for a day.

Best Birthday Ever

Thanks to Operation Heroes Unite, Xander’s party went from a low-key celebration to a full-on birthday bash at Georgetown’s Creative Playscape featuring Mario and his kart and Wonder Woman. “He was very surprised. He ran over to Mario and got on the bike right away. He was just overwhelmed with it all. He was very excited and made himself at home right away with it,” Linsey says. She adds that even though Xander probably didn’t know who Won- der Woman was – “we’re a Marvel family” – he gave her a hug and clung to her the whole time she was there. “We had a blast. Xander wouldn’t have had as good of a day without Mario and Wonder Woman showing up."

A few years ago, when Xander was just a baby, he was diagnosed with a form of cancer called neuroblastoma. Linsey says at that time she probably would not have let Megan plan this kind of celebration. “I’m not one that likes help. I don’t like to put people out. But I’ve since realized I have to put that aside and it’s okay to let her do this. This time around, with his cancer, I’ve been a bit better with people helping.”

Being there for cancer warriors like Xander and their parents is the heart of Operation Heroes Unite. “Knowing you’re not alone, that’s the goal,” Megan says. “We’re here for you. There are people, complete strangers out there, who are praying for you and willing to help carry you through this fight.”

Drawn by affordable house prices and the small-town feel, the Keiths made Jarrell their home in 2021. With Xander’s speech delay caused by partial hearing loss from his first battle with cancer, he was accepted into Jarrell ISD’s Pre-K program for kids with special needs. “He absolutely loved it, his friends, and his teachers,” Linsey says. While they had to pull him out when his cancer relapsed, his teachers have supported them with visits, gift cards, and activities for him to enjoy.