Meet Lance! He's our 2016-17 Penn. Champion

When Lance was 4 years old, he was diagnosed with an inoperable high-grade cancerous tumor in his brain stem that was compressing his spine. His treatment included chemotherapy, radiation, two surgeries, and peptide vaccine injections as part of an institutional vaccine study at his hospital.

Doctor’s deemed Lance’s reaction to the vaccine injection miraculous; and he is doing better each day, with no growth of his tumor.

Described as a very approachable child, Lance’s robust laugh and steadfast determination readily attracts people to him. However, Lance credits his full head of crazy curls — which he describes as “brown cotton candy” — for his personality.

Lance loves to play video games and enjoys playing Miracle League baseball, where he’s earned himself the nickname of “Lightning Lance.” He is also a proud new puppy owner, and looks forward to spending time with his new furry friend.

How donations helped Lance at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC:  

CMN Hospitals donations have vastly enhanced the countless hours Lance and his family have spent at the hospital, helping to provide pet therapy and child life programs — services that help heal not just the child, but the entire family.