‘All 4 Emma’ comedy fundraiser to benefit family of 3-year-old

METRO DETROIT — Alyssa Slanec describes her daughter as a ball of joy.

She also said her daughter has met her cancer diagnosis with strength.

“She’s been through more than most adults, and she has handled it better than most adults,” she said.

Slanec’s daughter, 3-year-old Emma Hartkorn, was diagnosed with stage three renal cancer in December 2024. She had a tumor, and the cancer had taken over most of her abdomen, her entire left kidney and had migrated into her inferior vena cava, a vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the heart.

It was centimeters away from her heart, Slanec said.

After Emma had surgery to remove the tumor and her left kidney, the doctors believed they had gotten everything, Slanec said, so she and her husband decided to hold off on any chemo or radiation until doctors could confirm if she was cancer-free.

“That was a whole fight with the hospital, and they got CPS involved, and it was terrible,” she said.

Doctors found a genetic mutation that caused the cancer in her left kidney. It has started attacking Emma’s right kidney, and currently, she’s in kidney failure and in need of a transplant.

But despite the potential for it to be a lifelong battle, Slanec said her daughter has been strong.

“She has been an absolute warrior through the whole process, much stronger than I have been,” Slanec said. “I have cried a lot this year.”

As soon as she was diagnosed, Slanec, a St. Clair Shores resident, dropped out of nursing school. Her mother, who lives in Ann Arbor, flew in to take care of her three other kids.

To help with the expenses, Comedy 4 Cancer — a nonprofit organized by Warren resident JD Marshal, aimed at helping families who have kids that have been diagnosed with cancer — has organized a benefit show.

“It’s just a tough, tough time for her and her mom,” said comedian Bob Phillips, who is headlining the show.

Phillips said he has done hundreds of benefit shows, a number of which have been for Marshall’s nonprofit. He’s always happy to donate his time to help, he said.

“My business, my career is making people laugh. That’s what I do,” Phillips said. “And in these kinds of situations, people need to laugh more than ever, or at least take a little respite from the tough times they’re going through … That makes me feel very good about my profession.”

Slanec said the support has been overwhelming.

“All of my family lives in Arizona, and so I have oftentimes felt very alone, and I don’t feel alone,” she said. “I don’t know much more to say. It’s very overwhelming.”

The “All 4 Emma” show will be held Oct. 18 at the Bishop Murphy Knights of Columbus, 22040 Ryan Road, in Warren. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. General admission tickets cost $15, and a table of eight costs $80. For more information, go to comedy4cancer.com.