Lily’s cancer journey began day before Thanksgiving 2016 when her pediatrician called and told her parents to go to Phoenix Children’s Hospital immediately. There, 2-year-old Lily and her family learned that she had pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. That began a two-and-a-half-year journey of surgeries, needles, chemo drugs, hair loss, personality changes, physical changes, and everything in between. She missed school, birthday parties, church, and just being a kid. Luckily, she had a little sister, Lincoln, to play with at home.
Lily: Then
Slowly, Lily started to take her life back. She returned to school; she resumed swim lessons and gymnastics; and she made as many birthday parties as she could. Today, Lily is thriving. She’s excelling in Kindergarten. She started cheerleading and enjoys eating sushi as often as she can. But Lily’s new normal has its challenges. She still goes for monthly check-ups, and her immune system is still weak. Although Lily proudly insists that she does not have cancer anymore, her parents hold their breaths every day, hoping that she’ll be able to live a long and happy life.