MANSFIELD, Ohio – On a sunny Wednesday at the Richland County Fair, the only thing brighter than the weather was the smile on Ava Kohls’ face.
Sitting proudly astride a brown horse named Lacy, a toothy smile dominated the four-year-old’s face as she tried to contain her excitement. Her mother, Kelsey Kohls, explained her daughter’s love of everything equine.
“Her favorite thing is horses, it’s like an obsession,” she said with a laugh. “She wears cowboy boots with her bathing suit.”
Then Kohls’ face turned somber as she added, “This was a dream come true for her before tomorrow.”
On Thursday morning, Ava will undergo a risky surgery to remove an invasive brain tumor. Kohls explained Ava’s tumor is attached to her brain stem and her spinal cord.
“They have to remove the bottom of her skull and the top of her spine to get to it,” said Kohls, her voice breaking. “So there’s a big risk in taking it all.”
The Kohls’ nightmare began on July 10 when Ava fell, running into a door while playing with her little brother, Luke. After noticing some strange behavior in Ava, Kohls took her to OhioHealth MedCentral Mansfield Hospital for a suspected concussion. An MRI discovered the brain tumor.
“They said they have to remove it immediately,” Kohls remembered. “It really was a blessing she fell so they found the tumor in time.”
Doctors at MedCentral Mansfield suspect the tumor to be a benign lymphoma, but only after extracting the tumor will tests be done to tell if the tumor is truly benign. The family will travel to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus on Wednesday evening to prepare for Ava’s 6:30 a.m. surgery on Thursday. Kohls said the surgery is expected to last four to six hours.
“And that’s if they can go in and get it out without complications, and if it can come out all at once,” she said.
Ava has had plenty of support from family and friends the past few weeks. Kohls’ brother-in-law Hans Dahlby created a GoFundMe account to cover Ava’s medical bills; as of Wednesday, 39 people had raised $2,770 in only three days. At the Richland County Fair, the Starfish Project of Richland County supplied “AvaStrong” wristbands at their booth for $3 apiece.
But the biggest hero in Ava’s eyes is Erin Barnhill, who led Lacy around the ring at the Richland County Fair on Wednesday while Ava beamed from the horse’s back.
After connecting through a family friend, Barnhill said the original plan was to have Ava ride a horse at home until she remembered a show class at the fair that allowed little kids to ride while the horses were led.
“I’m really excited we got to do this, it really warms my heart,” said Barnhill, a member of Richland County Wranglers 4-H club. “A lot of things happen in life, and to know you can do something to make a little girl this happy is so awesome. I’m so blessed, I’m glad God let me do this. It was so unexpected, but everything happens for a reason.”
Earlier this week, Kohls’ said her daughter was beginning to understand the gravity of the situation that lay before her. But on Wednesday, there was no trace of worry in Ava’s face – only pure, unadulterated joy as she walked and even trotted around the show rings, a tiny but fearless rider.
“She’s braver than all of us,” said Kohls.
hi, this is ava as a 13 year old now. ive grown so much and in still ride horses thanks to erin and kelly.