By: Shannon OConnor
Lucy was just a toddler, full of energy and life and who never got sick, when her parents found a strange bump on her back that changed everything. She suddenly had a terrifying diagnosis at 14 months old: acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of leukemia that comes with only a 50-60% five-year survival rate.
For months, Lucy fought her cancer. She underwent intense chemotherapy plus a secondary diagnosis called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) – a syndrome that caused her white blood cells to attack other healthy blood cells – that further complicated her treatment. She transferred to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she stayed for the next seven months, spending her days running the halls, IV pole attached, living like a kid looking forward to playgrounds and preschool.
Three bone marrow transplants and a stem cell transplant later, Lucy’s cancer was finally cured – but at a cost. The long and harsh treatments little Lucy endured had taken their toll on her. She was unable to produce stem cells, blood, or platelets.
Lucy tragically passed away a month before her 2nd birthday, on May 13, 2015, cancer-free, from a brain hemorrhage caused by the side effects of treatment.
“Fighting and Fundraising”
“Lucy taught us joy, resilience, and what it means to keep going,” said Emily, Lucy’s mom. Inspired and vindicated, Lucy’s parents decided to keep fighting cancer in honor of their daughter and with the hopes that other families won’t have to endure the grief of losing a child to cancer.
“She is the reason we fight and fundraise,” said Emily.
Lucy’s parents became relentless in their push to draw more attention to childhood cancer. More than anything, they wanted to support the research that would provide better and more effective treatment options for the “future Lucys” of the world.
Their passion and hope crystallized Lucy’s legacy into fundraising for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) as Team Love for Lucy Always.
“Supporting childhood cancer research through ALSF turns Lucy’s memory into momentum for a cure,” said Emily. “We wanted to invest time in people who already know what they’re doing and are spending money the right way.”
Emily believes children deserve better options, better treatments, and better outcomes, and trusts ALSF for never slowing down in the search for cures, pushing researchers to make a difference for all kids with cancer every single day.
“This is about all the ‘Lucys’ out there,” said Emily.
Team Love for Lucy Always has seen an incredible outpouring of support from family, friends, and their greater community. They’ve shown up time and time again for fundraising events like five Million Miles each September, three golf outings, a Philadelphia half-marathon, birthdays, anniversaries, and more.
Altogether, Team Love for Lucy Always has raised more than $850,000 for childhood cancer research over the last decade.
Today, Lucy’s family has grown: Emily and Pete are parents to three other children who are aware of their sister and talk about her, ensuring Lucy’s legacy lives on even within them.
“The greatest gift we can give is helping more children and families have the healthy years together that Lucy deserved,” shared Emily. “At the end of the day, all we wanted was more time.”
Inspired? Join ALSF for Lemonade Days
Be part of a community of stands all across the country this June. Every stand represents another chance to fund more breakthroughs that lead to more cures. Together, let’s change the lives of kids with cancer, one cup at a time, all month long!
