Brave Little Adam is the kindest and sweetest boy his family knows. He loves to help people, finding joy in problem solving and figuring things out. He also enjoys drawing and crafts, like making cards for everyone and anyone that says, “I love you”. His favorite foods to eat are tofu and mushrooms. He doesn’t like sports much, but he loves music, singing and dancing almost as much as he loves his little sister!

Compounded symptoms surfaced over a matter of mere weeks prior to Adam’s diagnosis: a series of fainting episodes, an enlarged and hardened abdomen, a swollen and bruised eye, loss in appetite and increased discomfort and fussiness. When his parents noticed the bruising in Adam’s left eye getting worse, they knew something was wrong. They immediately rushed him to Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) ER, and on January 31, 2018, Adam was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma at around 7 months of age.

A CT scan that day showed a large mass in the abdomen that had metastasized to a tumor behind his left eye (which caused the bruising). Further testing showed the presence of cancer cells in various areas of the body, including his liver and bone marrow. His oncologist determined the mass to be too risky to operate and recommended starting chemotherapy treatment right away to shrink the mass prior to surgery. After almost two weeks at CHOC, Adam was transferred to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he began chemotherapy treatment for six months. Today, he has clear scans with no sign of cancer.

Adam’s mom, Hannah, hopes for Adam to continue to grow healthily and happily so he can one day achieve whatever dreams he desires! He is her hero because he is both so strong and brave, yet so kindhearted. You would never know what he had gone through as an infant. Currently, he has almost no vision in his left eye due to the tumor, but this has not hindered him in any way from learning, playing, or thriving in life. He never complains or makes excuses for his vision loss. “He inspires me to be strong and know that I can overcome any challenges that may come my way,” Hannah says.

For Hannah, this experience has been the most unimaginable journey ever, but she believes that she, and everyone who may face a childhood cancer diagnosis, will come out of it stronger than ever. “It was also a very humbling experience,” she said. “We learned to have hope in the impossible. We learned to rely on our friends and family and especially our faith. We had to trust in the doctors and also trust our own instincts. We could not have made it through without the support of our friends and family and much prayer. As much as possible, make sure you have a good support system to help you through it all.”

One of those support systems has been Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), which gives Hannah hope for a better tomorrow with healthy kids. She and her family have been hosting lemonade stands raising money for ALSF for the last two years as top supporters. They’ve raised more than $30,000 for kids with cancer, with the goal of finding a cure for childhood cancer!

“I can’t wait to do our lemonade stand again this year because that means we get to help raise money for kids with cancer. Also, I hope to be a superhero someday.” – Adam

Information provided by Hannah D., Adam’s mom
Updated August 2023