Ethan and Stage 3 osteosarcoma

Meet Ethan Haugen—a 17-year-old Star Wars and LEGO enthusiast who is currently undergoing treatment for stage 3 osteosarcoma. Ethan recently had an amputation and continues to receive chemotherapy, which keeps him in and out of the hospital.

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Here is Ethan’s story, shared by his stepmom

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Ethan started having pain in his left knee early in January 2025. He pushed through it for a few days thinking he had just pulled a muscle or hurt it somehow and then eventually thought it should get checked out when it affected him being able to walk normally. After spending hours in the ER and many x rays and scans, he was diagnosed with stage 3 osteosarcoma. He went through three rounds of chemo immediately following diagnosis and then made the decision that no kid should have to decide at 17 - to amputate above the knee where the tumor was growing.

In the midst of the beginning chemo rounds, it was also discovered that his cancer had metastasized to his lungs and two lymph nodes. So, after his amputation in May, he did another round of chemo and then went into a lung surgery this month to remove the cancerous spots in his lungs. We now await the results from those spots to determine our next steps.

Ethan has been fitted for a prosthetic leg (dubbed his "robot leg" by his younger brother) and once he is healed from the lung surgery, he will resume physical therapy and learn how to walk with his new tool. He will also resume chemo and have two more rounds. We are hopeful that his treatment will end in November, but we also take everything day by day right now.

He has had many ups and downs throughout this journey but overall he has remained positive in the face of all the scary news and living in the hospital during his Junior year of high school. He starts his senior year in August and is hopeful that he will be able to return to school WALKING in January 2026 and be able to walk across the stage at graduation. We are all praying for the very same thing and are so proud of how he's handled these challenges with grace and grit and inspires us to never give up daily.

Thank you so much for the Legos. Ethan has always been a "master builder" and they've especially brought him joy and distraction throughout this season of life.

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I shipped a LEGO set to Ethan, who is not from Connecticut—he is currently receiving treatment in Houston, TX. At the time of delivery, both Ethan and I were 17 years old and rising seniors in high school. I wish Ethan a speedy recovery and a healthy, happy life ahead.