Adorable Quinnlee is a happy baby girl. She loves axolotls, the only thing with the power to make her stop crying in the middle of the night. She also likes to play with pop-its, smile, wave, and say, “Oh no!”

At first, Quinnlee developed at a healthy rate. At 6 months, she could crawl and pull herself up on furniture. She seemed to be doing great, until she stopped crawling and climbing on things at about 9 months old. She cried constantly and stopped eating. She was given several medications for acid reflux and a referral for speech therapy. She then underwent surgery for ear tubes and a tongue tie. Still, Quinnlee did not get better. Her stomach became more distended and she couldn’t tolerate milk or solids. Every meal came back up while her weight stayed down.

The family had plans for a vacation across the country, so Quinnlee’s mom, Jessica, took her to the doctor on June 4, 2024, to see if she would be okay. The doctor found an 11 cm tumor in Quinnlee’s left kidney. Two days later, she had surgery to remove the kidney and tumor, which had weighed a collective one-and-a-half pounds. This was approximately 1/8 of her weight. Luckily, the cancer left when her kidney did.

Quinnlee also has p16 deletion syndrome which makes it likely she may need aggressive follow-up chemotherapy. Today, Quinnlee is awaiting repeat scans and full genetics to decide whether she should receive chemotherapy or “watch and wait”.

Jessica hopes her daughter lives a full and bright life as a healthy child. She says Quinnlee is her hero because she always has a smile on her face with the most positive outlook.

“Looking at her now, three weeks post op, you'd never know anything happened,” Jessica said. “She’s small but mighty and feisty and doesn't let anything hold her back.” She wants families going through this journey to know that their child is stronger than they think. Quinnlee has shown immense courage at just 1 year old.

To their family, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) means hope for the future of all kids with cancer.

“We just want everyone to live to adulthood, go to prom, graduate high school, and live a long and happy life,” said Jessica.

Information provided by Jessica C., Quinnlee’s mom
Updated July 2024