Lucus, 7 Years, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

This is Lucas, a 7-year-old master builder, just like his shirt says! We were so impressed by his incredible Lego-building skills and his passion. These tiny hands can construct ANY Lego set! He shared his amazing creations with us, and our hearts were filled with joy as we saw his excitement over the new Lego set he received from Blocks of Hope. Lucas also helped the Make-A-Wish Gala by donating two incredible Lego sets for the silent auction. He’s already giving back to the community! Here’s a little story about Lucas, shared by his parents. We wish him a speedy recovery!

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Here is Lucus's story, shared by his mom

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Lucas was diagnosed with B Cell ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) at age 7 on September 15, 2024. He had started 2nd grade just a few weeks before and had seemed exhausted from day 1. We thought maybe he was just a bit overwhelmed, but then he became sick with what the doctors initially thought was pneumonia. Once we learned of the ALL diagnosis we realized that was why the school year had gotten off to such a rough start. After a 6 night stay at Yale, we were sent home to begin outpatient treatment. But just 4 days later we were back in the ER because Lucas has a fever and severe stomach pains. We learned that his appendix had ruptured and were immediately admitted back into the Pediatric Hematology Oncology unit. The very next day, on September 26, Lucas suddenly couldn’t use his right arm or right leg and had a brief period of slurred speech. Scans showed Lucas had suffered a stroke, most likely from one of the intrathecal chemotherapy meds that he had received shortly after his diagnosis. We ended up in the hospital for an additional 22 night stay and were finally discharged in mid-October.

Fast forward to today. Lucas is still undergoing some pretty intensive treatment for the ALL but should enter the maintenance phase by the end of the summer. The target end date for all treatment is January 2027! With respect to the appendicitis, after being on daily antibiotics for 2 months Lucas was finally strong enough to have his appendix removed shortly before Thanksgiving. The surgery went well with no complications, so that hurdle is officially behind us. Finally, Lucas continues to receive physical therapy and has regained mobility. His right leg is back to maybe 85% strength but the doctors are confident he can reach almost 100% with continued therapy.

We really appreciate everything you’re doing! Legos have played a huge role throughout the past 6 months, not just for enjoyment, but even as a therapeutic tool to help Lucas regain the ability to use his right hand. I hope Blocks of Hope continues to grow and have much success. And we wish you the best in your college search.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We were so impressed with his passion for LEGO—and how it played a role in his stroke recovery. Working with the tiny LEGO pieces helped improve his motor skills, and his hand function started returning fairly quickly. We were so inspired that we shipped him another set for his birthday.