Lily & Heather Wong
“Our cancer journey was not easy, especially at the start, but Lily is amazingly brave. She took everything in stride and made everyone around her smile with her.” – Heather Wong
In late 2022, three-year-old Lily Wong was diagnosed with a large and rare ependymoma, a type of brain tumor. “As a single mother, Lily is my whole world,” says her mom, Heather. “Shock and devastation barely describe what I felt after hearing the news. Your mind spirals and you think death sentence All you want to hear in that moment is that your loved one can be cured, and they will be able to live a long full life.”
A few days after Lily survived a successful 8-hour surgery, Heather’s father passed away unexpectedly. Despite the situation, her extended family came through, particularly her aunt: “She came with me to every doctor appointment to be a second set of ears and to take notes. She also came with me to Lily’s daily proton radiation treatments. Everyone’s support meant so much.”
At such a young age daily treatments meant sedation for Lily – who had just started preschool – which was hard on both of them; “How do you tell a three-year-old that she can’t drink or eat before treatment?” says Heather, who tried to balance the rough days with fun if Lily felt up to it, like walks with her classmates or visits to the zoo or botanical garden. “Lily feeds off my emotions, I never wanted her to see me upset,” Heather adds. “Even though I remained strong in front of Lily, I did let my emotions go from time to time, like I would have a good cry in the shower.”
“For those who are diagnosed with cancer, know that you are not alone,” Heather says, noting that she’s made valuable connections through pediatric brain tumor parent support groups. “Besides your close family and friends, you may gain a new friend who knows exactly what you are going through.”
She is grateful that her bright little girl, now almost six years old, is through treatment and has been in the monitoring phase. As of December 2024, Lily’s dedicated medical team caught a recurrence early. Once again, Heather is leaning on her family, friends, and support groups to persevere while Lily is entering this new phase of treatment.
“Lily’s type of cancer is rare. The medical field is still feeling their way through on what is the best course of treatment,” Heather adds. “With more research, I would love to be able to say she is cured and not have to worry at each MRI scan. Research is so important. Let’s try to find cures to save our loved ones.”
Our Mission
Stand Up To Cancer raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers with the aspiration to cure all patients. Find out how you can get involved.
