From the very beginning, Mark was on a mission – that much was clear. He couldn’t wait to be born, so he decided to make his entrance to the world in the car, rather than wait for a hospital room.

At 6 weeks old, Mark was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer. Doctors swiftly removed his left eye, and Mark was given a prosthetic eye. Regular eye exams and MRIs were now part of his routine. Mark adored the hospital – he would arrive cheerfully (once he could speak he would proclaim “we’re here” as the car pulled into the parking garage) and nurses were impressed by his calm demeanor.

Mark was a very deliberate kid. He seemed to do everything with purpose, and when working on an art project, he’d insist on beginning the craft with a handprint. He also loved the color brown, almost exclusively. When he went to the optometrist to get his glasses at just over a year old, Mark immediately grabbed the brown pair. His parents felt it strange and awesome that he would pick brown as his favorite color, and when they shuffled all the frames on the counter and asked him to pick again, he grabbed the same pair.

Then at 1.5 years old, Mark was diagnosed with a second cancer: pineoblastoma. The development of pineoblastoma is more likely in kids with early diagnoses of retinoblastoma. After surgery to remove the tumor in Mark’s pineal gland, he began a very intense chemotherapy protocol followed by a bone marrow transfusion.

During his treatment, there were countless close calls and arduous setbacks, only for Mark to mount a courageous rebound each time. Although he didn’t have much of a voice during the treatments or during his recovery, he was able to communicate with his family like they had a special language. Mark always made his intentions distinct.

But in early June of 2024, Mark became very lethargic out of the blue and it was his mother’s intuition that compelled her to call an ambulance and rush to the nearest hospital. Mark had to undergo an emergency surgery. It came as a total shock, because Mark had been in remission for two months and was making a remarkable recovery. The surgery was a success, and the team informed his parents that had they not made it in at the time they did, Mark would not have survived the night.

When the family saw the MRI after his operation, it revealed that Mark’s cancer had returned, and with a vengeance.

Sadly, Mark passed away in August.

Mark’s parents, Kris and Sarah Yenbamroong, were chef supporters of the event L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade and the Foundation long before Mark was born. They continue to support and work to do anything that will help other kids with cancer.        

Information provided by Kris and Sarah Y., Mark’s parents
Updated September 2024