Lilly Ratliff has been through a lot in her young life.

From her mother, Lynn, being diagnosed with cancer, to developing a genetic condition called Pectus excavatum — a sunken sternum, which creates a divot in the chest — Ratliff has always found a way to face challenges in stride.

In April 2023, Ratliff underwent a procedure where doctors placed metal bars in her chest to reposition her sternum.

“I absolutely hated it,” Ratliff said. “In the very first few weeks, you can’t even sit up on your own. You can’t use your core, and still to this day I can’t laugh correctly. I couldn’t lift my arms up, I couldn’t even shampoo my hair, it was just annoying.”

Despite that annoyance, Ratliff got back out onto the ice after about a month with no contact, unbeknownst to her parents, and the whole recovery process took roughly six months.

Now two years after her procedure, Ratliff is playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (PA) at the 2025 Chipotle-USA Hockey Girls Tier I 16U National Championship in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Getting back on the ice helped Ratliff during her long recovery. After she began playing in games again, she decided to use the sport to help out Lynn and the many others who have battled breast cancer by organizing a charity hockey game. 

While that game took place in November 2024, the reason for it happened in 2015 when Ratliff first found out that her mother had breast cancer.

She remembers the day vividly.

“[My mom] had pulled us down into the living room, and she was like, ‘Time to have a family meeting,’” Ratliff said. “We had never had a family meeting before, so it was just kind of weird. It was a pretty sad moment, but she also told us they had caught her [cancer] early, and she was going to be OK. It was still very scary, because we were both young children and we associated cancer with really bad things.”

Not only was it tough for Lilly and her brother, Walleye, but it was also heart wrenching for Lynn.

“It’s emotional now just thinking about it,” Lynn said. “I just remember Lilly’s statement when we said it. I’ll never forget this. She said, ‘Are you going to die?’ That’s something you never want your 7-year-old to look at you and ask.”

While diagnosed with cancer, Lynn found out about Camp Kesem through one of the directors of Pink Ribbon Good, an organization that helps cancer patients with basic needs like delivering meals and providing rides to the hospital.

Different colleges across the United States have their own chapter of Camp Kesem, and Lilly and Walleye attended the Ohio State University chapter.

There are only two paid positions at Camp Kesem, the nurse and the mental health associate. The rest are college-aged volunteers who go through year-long training to get ready and even raise money themselves to put towards the camp.

When Lynn picked up Lilly and Walleye after their first week-long stay at camp, they couldn’t contain their excitement about their experience.

“They hadn’t got their butts in the seat of the car when we were picking them up, and both of them were like, ‘Mom, can you register us for next year? We want to go back,’” Lynn said. “They have time there at camp [where] they can talk about their feelings [and] talk about what they’re going through. But the biggest thing is that it gives these kids a week to just be a kid. They don’t have to worry about cancer at the camp. It’s been quite an experience for both of them.”

After Lilly’s experience with Camp Kesem, she wanted to host a pink out hockey game for breast cancer awareness.  

Lilly goes to school in Pittsburgh at Shady Side Academy and initially brought the idea to her coach. Lilly decided to use the funds from the game to benefit Camp Kesem, as the lasting impact has provided a bright spot in her life. She organized the entire event and even got a mother to donate pink jerseys for the game.

“As a parent, you’re proud to watch your kid give back to the universe [and] give back to the world,” Lynn said.

Camp Kesem is more than just a week-long summer camp too, as many members of the camp still keep in contact with Lilly. Eight camp counselors from the OSU chapter even traveled from Columbus to Pittsburgh for the pink out game on November 8, 2024.

“Those people have had such an impact on my life,” Lilly said. “These are college kids that have a life [and] have to go to school. They all came out to Pittsburgh to help support the game [and] tried to raise money alongside us. It was just a really great night.”

Lynn couldn’t have been prouder of her daughter and everyone who helped put the event together.

“It restored my faith in that generation,” Lynn said. “They are just the embodiment of what you would want every human being to be walking the face of the earth. They’re just incredible.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.