Liv is full of personality and light. She loves being outside, playing with her preschool friends, and anything colorful or creative. Music and dancing are some of her favorite things — along with Bluey and Gabby’s Dollhouse. She’s independent, expressive, curious, and determined to do everything “by herself.” Most of all, Liv is deeply loved and brings joy to everyone around her.

Her cancer journey began after what seemed like a mild illness. Even after treatment, her energy stayed low. Bruises appeared on her legs. She became increasingly pale. Lab work revealed critically low blood counts, and at just three years old, Liv was diagnosed with high-risk B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Since that day, she has endured more than any child should. Liv has received oral, IV, and intrathecal chemotherapy, immunotherapy, steroids, blood transfusions, and has already spent over 43 days in the hospital — with 2 more years of treatment still ahead. The hardest part has been the long hospital stays, frequent procedures, and not fully understanding why these things are happening to her.

Pediatric cancers are biologically different from adult cancers, yet for decades treatment options were limited and often relied on highly toxic chemotherapy with lifelong side effects.

Because of continued research and funding, Liv has had access to newer, more targeted treatments like blinatumomab — an immunotherapy only recently approved for pediatric use. Instead of relying solely on traditional chemotherapy, blinatumomab helps the immune system specifically target leukemia cells and has been shown to improve outcomes and reduce the risk of relapse. For Liv, access to this therapy has meant more hope, more precision, and a better chance at long-term remission.

Without funding for pediatric cancer research, treatments like this would not exist. Families like ours would have far fewer options.

Research gives children like Liv a better chance at a full life — with less toxicity, fewer relapses, and more time being kids.

Liv still has a long road ahead. But even on the hardest days, she finds ways to laugh, play, and connect. And that inspires us more than words can say.

We will never stop fighting for kids like Liv.

Thank you for being part of her story. 💛

#LivStrong #ChildhoodCancerAwareness #UnravelPediatricCancer

About Unravel Pediatric Cancer:

Unravel is a nonprofit organization working to spread knowledge about the grim realities of pediatric cancer and the devastating impact from the lack of funding. We supply the information, tools and support to individuals and communities that want to help create change; because good people want to do good things but sometimes they need help getting started. All monies raised by and for Unravel will go directly to the fight against pediatric cancer.

In addition, Unravel partners with other nonprofits to strengthen our efforts. We do all of this with one goal in mind; we will unravel pediatric cancer.

Please visit https://unravelpediatriccancer.org/science for more information.