In the spring of 2019, Tyler Peoples encountered a parent's worst nightmare. Something was wrong with her precious 3-month-old daughter, Lakelyn.
Lakelyn was having trouble breathing, her right eye looked droopy, and she appeared to be having a seizure. After multiple tests at the emergency room, it was discovered that Lakelyn had bleeding on the brain. She was then transported to Children's Hospital of Michigan, where she was rushed into surgery to relieve pressure from the brain.
Four days later, Lakelyn underwent a six-hour surgery that revealed a cancerous tumor taking over more than 75% of her brain. She was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma, a sly type of tumor which begins as grade 4 with no evidence of a lower grade precursor. She remained in the hospital for two-and-a-half months before beginning treatment.
While there have been tremendous improvements in outcomes for many children with cancer, survival remains very poor for children with certain types of cancer, like brain cancer or recurrent cancers. And for minority children like Lakelyn, the response to treatment is about 15% inferior compared to their counterparts. That is why The Children's Foundation is supporting a multi-institutional research project to advance and improve brain cancer treatment for all children. By focusing on the genetic landscape of minority children, researchers hope to improve response rates to cancer treatment.
This research has helped guide Lakelyn's treatment, which included six rounds of chemotherapy. From July to November 2019, Lakelyn was hospitalized every three weeks for three days to undergo treatment. It was a long journey of tests, tubes, and prayers, but by December 2019, Lakelyn was cancer-free!
For the next year, Lakelyn received an MRI every three months to monitor potential new developments. In July 2020, scans unfortunately detected another small, developing tumor. At only 18 months old, Lakelyn underwent her second brain surgery. This time, the tumor was much smaller, sizing approximately two centimeters. She began a new oral chemotherapy in August.
"Lakelyn is a fighter. I am so proud of my daughter," says Tyler. "She is so smart, and through everything, has kept a smile on her face. We are thankful to the doctors at Children's Hospital of Michigan who have guided our way. Together, we will make it through. We are LakelynStrong!"
Less than 4% of the research budget at the National Cancer Institute is allocated to childhood cancers. The result is an estimated gap of $30 million annually in childhood cancer funding. The Children's Foundation has committed to a three-year grant to support the collaborative work at Children's Hospital of Michigan, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Hurley Hospital of Flint, and Wayne State University.
You can help bridge the funding gap and provide vital research and treatment for children like Lakelyn. Contact George Westerman at (313) 745-9344 or GWesterman@YourChildrensFoundation.org to learn how you can use your estate plan to fight childhood cancers.