Luke Neuhedel
The Luke Neuhedel Foundation was established April 2002 in memory of Luke Paul Tolson Neuhedel, who lived a miraculous 32 months with hepatoblastoma, a rare childhood liver cancer that effects less than one in a million children each year. His favorite things were "happy faces" as he called smiley faces, Godzilla, and Pokemon. Luke lives on in all the children we are able to assist. Thank you for your help.
On August 2, 1999, at the age of 9 months, Luke was diagnosed with stage IV hepatoblastoma, a rare liver cancer affecting just under one in a million children each year. Doctors gave him less than a month to live, doubtful that the chemo would touch the grapefruit-size tumor on his liver and the 30-some metastases on his lungs. But Luke was strong in spirit, responded well to chemo, and had his liver resected in November 1999. While the cancer was not visible on his liver, lung metastases reoccurred.For two years Luke endured over a dozen chemo drugs and almost 30 surgeries. In January 2002 metastases were found in his brain. Radiation therapy failed to work and Luke died March 27, 2002.
Luke was known as the "miracle boy." Whenever things looked bleak, Luke shocked his medical family with a ninth-inning rally. Luke maintained a "happy face" throughout his treatments, charming his way into the hearts of hospital staff, friends, family -- anyone he touched -- with his smile. They spread his inspirational story from Long Island to London, Tibet, and elsewhere. He reminded parents to hug their children every night. He taught people who never thought about God how to pray. He taught his siblings compassion and unselfishness -- and that cancer is not "bad." He taught his doctors that children with cancer can live a wonderful life and that "quality of life" means enjoying every day in spite of your handicaps -- even if you're just smelling flowers or getting blood drawn.
