At the age of 2, Lena was a sweet, loving toddler. She may have seemed a bit quiet, but her closest family and friends have watched Lena belt out her favorite song, “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys - hitting each note with perfection. That memory will always mark the spirit of Lena’s journey.
As an expat family that was living in the Netherlands, Lena and her family would travel back to California to visit family during summer holidays. During their trip in July 2023, her parents noticed that Lena seemed very tired and thought it must be due to jet lag as they had just traveled several time zones. After a few days, Lena continued to be low on energy and her parents thought it would be best to see a doctor as they still had a couple weeks of travel planned. Several hours and tests later, Lena was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and immediately admitted to Radys Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California to begin treatment.
The diagnosis was devastating and Lena and her family were stuck in a whirlwind of unknowns. The staff at Radys Children's Hospital helped us navigate our unusual circumstances of being on “summer holiday.” They also knew what a long journey Lena would have ahead. From the very beginning of treatment, Lena amazed us with her bravery, strength and understanding. She was truly our “Girl on Fire.”
After completing 2 phases of the treatment schedule, Lena and her family were ready to travel back home to the Netherlands. She continued her treatment at Prinses Máxima Centrum in Utrecht, which is a specialized hospital dedicated to Pediatric Oncology. The doctors at both hospitals ensured a seamless transfer and that was very reassuring to Lena’s family.
Lena is still overcoming many obstacles that arise as a result of cancer treatments. We are so grateful for the care she has received and are in awe watching her grow each day. Lena completed treatment in August 2025 and also started school for the first time.
Thank you for supporting Lena and the more than 300,000 kids worldwide who will be diagnosed with cancer this year. By sharing the gifts of your time, talent and money with the St. Baldrick's Foundation, you're supporting research to give all kids with cancer a better chance for a cure.
