Lily Hensiek, a local student and Westhaven resident, is battling cancer for the second time and is in need of a bone marrow transplant.
When Lily was seven-years-old, she began to experience leg and back pain. Initially doctors believed she had a kidney/bladder infection or possibly a sprained muscle, but when her symptoms did not abate, bloodwork was done and she was diagnosed with Pre-B acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). ALL is a type of blood cancer. About 5,430 people in the United States are diagnosed each year. It is the most common type of leukemia in children under age 15.
After completing two years of treatment in February 2011, Lily’s cancer was in remission for the past five years. Currently Lily is a sophomore at Independence High school and a member of the school volleyball team, but now the Leukemia has returned. See the video from Independence High School that they created for Lily
Hensiek and her family have been instrumental in raising money for the annual Westhaven Race for the Cure event. Taking part in the event after her first diagnosis, Lily has helped raise a million dollars for pediatric cancer research. Now, Lily is in need of your help. She needs a bone marrow transplant.
How you can help:
Are you a match for Lily? Find out on Sat, November 12th. From 11am-2pm at the Westhaven Community, a Match Registry tent will be set-up on Front Street. Those who are eligible to join the Bone Marrow Registry must be between the ages of 18-44, meet the health guideline and complete a registration form. To determine if you are a match for Lily, all you have to do is swab the inside of your cheek. If you’re a match, you’ll be contacted about donating. Â For more information, contact Becky Romine at 615-693-2298.
To follow Lily’s journey through her treatment, visit the Lily’s Leukemia Knockout Facebook page. Also, Lily and her family have established the Lily’s Garden Endowment and the Lily’s Garden Childhood Cancer Research Fund at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. This endowment provides yearly support for research in childhood cancer through Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Learn more and donate here.
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