Olivia “Livy” Kazanjian became an internet sensation almost overnight.
One day, the six-year-old and her mother recorded themselves eating McDonald’s Big Macs, just for fun. Their review grew, and grew and grew. Soon enough, they were partnering with restaurants across New England and traveling far and wide for their food blog.
Audiences were struck with Olivia’s diction and vocabulary — off the charts for a girl her age — as well as her strength and maturity.
Josh Kazanjian, Olivia’s father, saw the other side of the coin. He saw these as signs of how cancer had made his daughter grow up differently.
Olivia was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on November 24, 2024. Now in remission, her family expects she’ll undergo her last treatment at the end of December. Until then, every little bit of solidarity helps, her father said.
“It’s just been incredible the amount of support that we got from not just the doctors, but like the Jimmy Fund people, just all across the board,” Josh Kazanjian said. “We wouldn’t be where we are now if it weren’t for everybody.”
The latest show of support for the family has come in the form of a race in Olivia’s honor: At 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, runners will join the “Say Cheese for Olivia” 5K in Bow, which will follow the course of the Bow Turkey Trot.
The race will raise funds for Blood Cancer United to help children like Olivia.
“I don’t want it to be lost: the fact that all of these patients are somebody’s Olivia, in my mind. It could be my daughters, or it could be one of your relatives,” said Jennifer Hittle, a Bow resident organizing the event.
Hittle was nominated to fund-raise for Blood Cancer United’s Visionaries of the Year program, a 10-week philanthropic competition that brings together community leaders to support blood cancer research, provide educational resources and mobilize volunteers.
When Hittle found a post about Olivia through a friend, she knew immediately that she wanted to campaign for her. As a mother, she said, Hittle was moved by hearing Olivia’s story.
Olivia’s love of cheese inspired the race’s name, and the rest was history.
Registration and racing are organized by category. The event is open to all. More information can be found on raceroster.com/events/2026/118514/say-cheese-for-olivia-5k
