St. Baldrick’s Ambassadors represent the more than 400,000 kids worldwide who are diagnosed with cancer each year. They come from different places, ages, diagnoses, and stages of treatment. Through their stories, they show why funding the most promising childhood cancer research matters — so every kid can grow up to live a long, healthy, and joy-filled life.
Each child is far more than their diagnosis. They bring their own personality, strengths, and talents to the world. Read on to meet these extraordinary kids.
Lilah
Lilah is a two-year-old with an easy smile, bold curiosity, and a way of striding into a room like she already owns it. She loves donuts and coffee, powers through appointments while clutching pizza, and greets each morning as if the world is hers to conquer. Sweet, silly, and fiercely mighty, Lilah lights up every space she enters.
On February 24, 2025 — the same day her brother William was born — Lilah had a seizure at home. Doctors discovered a mass in her brain: a diagnosis of atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT), a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. A week later, she underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Treatment began immediately: five rounds of chemotherapy (including high-dose chemo with stem-cell rescue) and six weeks of proton radiation.
Despite everything, Lilah has met each challenge with strength far beyond her years. She danced daily during hospitalization, tolerated grueling treatments, and celebrated her second birthday amid chemotherapy rounds. In mid-December, she underwent scans. The results brought hope: there is no evidence of disease. Even more encouraging, Lilah’s spine MRI is completely clear. Through long weeks away from home and many sacrifices from her family, Lilah has remained strong, sassy, joyful, and unstoppable.
“In quiet moments,” Katelynn, Lilah’s mom, shares, “I pray — let me see the beautiful woman I know she will become.” Small but mighty, Lilah shows all of us what courage truly looks like.
Adalyn
When you meet three-year-old Adalyn, the first thing you notice is her brightness. She may start out shy, but hand her a paintbrush or a piece of chocolate and she lights up. It’s hard to believe that only months ago, she was fighting rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue cancer in children.
Diagnosed on May 9, 2024, after a tumor was found on her tongue, surgery wasn’t an option. Her care team at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) moved quickly with an aggressive plan: 40 weeks of chemotherapy followed by daily proton-beam radiation, each session requiring anesthesia. Treatment was grueling, bringing severe neutropenia, infections, and constant nausea. A flu diagnosis while immunocompromised required support from CHOP’s Critical Care team. At home, life revolved around medications, feeding pumps, and protecting her fragile immune system.
Radiation was the hardest stretch. Every morning meant another early drive to CHOP and another anesthesia—an experience no toddler should face repeatedly. Isolation and chronic illness slowed her social development, and her weight dropped dangerously low.
But once treatment ended, Adalyn’s spark returned. Today, she’s playful, energetic, and eager to explore again. She loves painting, hiking, animals, “Run-Around!”, and chocolate-dipped croissants. Now off chemotherapy, she is monitored every three months.
Adalyn still doesn’t like talking about cancer, but she remembers the moments when she felt cared for. She is shy, sweet, joyful, and endlessly resilient—proof that even the smallest kids can show extraordinary strength.
Laurel
When you meet six-year-old Laurel, you’re immediately drawn in by her mischievous grin and boundless energy. She’s the kind of kid who will hug you when you’re sad—and then crack a joke to make you laugh. You’d never guess this bright, taco-loving little girl has already faced a battle most adults could never imagine.
In September 2022, just before her third birthday, Laurel was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) after unexplained leg pain and a rash led to an urgent trip to the hospital. Her parents, Joshua and Kathryn, were devastated. Using dolls and storybooks, her care team helped her understand what was happening and how treatment would help “get the yucky stuff out.”
Soon, she was proudly telling people, “I’m bald because I have cancer.”
Her treatment lasted more than two years and included over 120 nights in the hospital, 26 transfusions, 16 lumbar punctures, and numerous rounds of chemotherapy.
Through pain and exhaustion, Laurel found comfort in small routines—therapy dog visits, music therapy, and watching Dino Dana. Her big sister, Lillian, was her constant companion.
Today, Laurel is in remission and returns for checkups every two months. She loves ballet, horseback riding, baking, kayaking, and creating beach “sand baby adventures.” Most of all, she’s busy living the childhood she fought so hard to keep.
Stephen
Fourteen-year-old Stephen has always been an old soul — a kid who can talk hockey stats one minute and cancer research the next. He’s been tested in unimaginable ways, yet his resilience has inspired everyone around him.
In October 2023, Stephen was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. What began as concerning MRI results quickly became a whirlwind of hospital visits and difficult decisions. Though initially scared when he realized he was headed to a cancer center, Stephen’s fear soon shifted to determination. He asked thoughtful questions, researched his disease, and wanted to understand every step ahead.
Stephen underwent 13 rounds of intense chemotherapy, each requiring five-day hospital stays. Some rounds brought complications, including low counts, infections, and transfusions. One of his biggest decisions came when his doctor began explaining leg-salvage surgery.
Stephen listened, then raised his hand and said, “Excuse me, but I would like to discuss the amputation.”
His care team ultimately agreed it offered the best chance for cure — and his family now celebrates his amputation anniversary each year.
Today, Stephen is in remission with scans every three months. He’s back to the things he loves most: sled hockey and broadcasting sports for his high school. He dreams of playing sled hockey professionally and becoming a hockey broadcaster.
Stephen has supported St. Baldrick’s since age three, and the mission means even more now. His message to donors and researchers is simple: “Don’t stop until there’s a cure. I’m still here because of you.”
Eoghan
Eoghan was known for his big heart, mischievous grin, and strong moral compass. On January 2, 2022, at age fifteen, he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a moment that changed everything for his family. Through grueling treatment, physical setbacks, and emotional hurdles, his courage, kindness, and optimism never wavered.
A gifted athlete and the 2020 Front Street Mile Champion, Eoghan loved running, soccer, music, piano, Liverpool FC, Formula 1, Scouts, and Survivor. After diagnosis, he began intensive treatment at Dana-Farber and Boston Children’s Hospital: 14 rounds of chemotherapy, 48 rounds of radiation, and frequent delays due to infections, including shingles. Six surgeries and countless transfusions followed. Because his tumor was deep in his pelvis, surgery could never remove it.
Early in treatment, Eoghan lost the use of his legs, but physiotherapy became his favorite part of the day. With persistence, he regained strength and even ran again using a treadmill harness.
“He was so determined,” his mother, Niamh, says.
Life in Boston was isolating, with family split between Bermuda and Ireland. Yet Eoghan stayed connected—logging into classes just to hear friends’ voices—and finding ways to bring humor into hard days. Small moments of levity showed his resilient spirit.
When the news came that no further treatment options remained, Eoghan met the end of his life with the same grace he showed throughout. He died on February 23, 2023, at sixteen, surrounded by his family.
Today, his loved ones honor his legacy by supporting St. Baldrick’s and advocating for pediatric cancer research—because, they say, “Every single dollar gives hope.”
Throughout the year, you’ll continue to be inspired by these kids and their stories. #ResearchIsHope for all kids with cancer.
