Tip of the Month Recipient | The Berning Family

All tips given the month of April will be donated to the Katie Berning family of Anna. Katie is 36 years old, married to Josh, and their children are Cecilia (10), Ira (8), Silas (6), Ada (3), and Louis (2 weeks old). Katie currently is an RN at Wilson Memorial Hospital and Josh works for Applied Industrial Technologies.

A few weeks ago, while carrying their fifth child, Katie began to experience acute abdominal pain, she underwent testing and received news that she had reoccurring metastatic melanoma, which is an aggressive form of skin cancer that has spread beyond its original site. In an instant, the rhythm of Katie’s pregnancy shifted from hopeful expectation to urgent, life altering decisions.

Doctors told Katie and Josh that treatment could not wait. To give Katie the best possible chance, she needed to begin therapy immediately. That meant making an unthinkable choice—delivering the baby early so that her cancer care could begin without delay. It meant placing their trust in both medicine and in God’s plan, even when the path ahead felt uncertain.

Their son Louis arrived on Friday, March 20, at 4 lbs 3 oz, small but strong, a tiny fighter entering the world. Because he was born early, he will spend 6 to 8 weeks in the NICU, growing, gaining strength, and receiving the specialized care he needs.

In addition to the challenges of prematurity, Louis will also require specialized monitoring at Cincinnati Children’s. In rare cases, metastatic melanoma can pass from mother to baby during pregnancy, and because of this risk, his care team will be watching closely with ongoing evaluations to ensure his health and safety.

Katie began her treatment on Monday, March 23. For metastatic melanoma, this often involves a combination of advanced therapies such as immunotherapy and in some cases targeted therapy. These treatments are powerful, but they are also physically and emotionally demanding. Katie will undergo regular scans, blood work, and appointments to track progress and adjust her care.

Katie enjoys camping, being outdoors, gardening, spending time with family and going to her kids’ activities! Let us keep the Berning family in our daily prayers. Your generous tip will help cover their ongoing medical bills. Thank you and God Bless!

April 2026