While working with Lainee's mom at Lutheran Social Services, I had the immense pleasure of getting to know Lainee. Lainee was wise beyond her years, and showed the world what true joy and compassion looks like. In true Lainee fashion she went out of her way to make me feel welcome and accepted.... at such a young age she was already such a caretaker of others. This was also shown in her Make a Wish being used to help rescue animals find homes. I am proud to be a part of Lainee's continued impact on the world and would greatly appreciate you making a donation to help fund reseach for Pleuropulmonary Blastoma.

 Why Hair Donation? 

On May 2nd, 2015, Lainee donated her long, beautiful, curly hair to, 'kids who are sick'. Just four months later, on September 22nd, 2015 Lainee was diagnosed with Cancer. On Lainee's 12th birthday, I will be donating my hair to Children with Hair Loss. 

Please read more about Lainee's journey below (Written by Lainee's mom): 

At the tail end of the summer of 2015, what appeared to be normal growing pains abruptly turned into symptoms that had Lainee’s Mom suspecting that she may have Lyme’s Disease. Lainee was fatigued and achy, but was in good spirits. She laid on the hospital bed singing into her, ‘Frozen’, microphone, trying to pass the time. Little did Lainee or her family know that this little four-year-old girl had a 15 cm by 4 cm tumor in her lung that had not only collapsed it completely, but had also pushed her heart to the right side of her little body. She had tumors on her spine, femur, her hip, and her kidney.

Lainee spent months of her short life in the hospital, she underwent countless procedures, numerous surgeries, and re-built her strength through a complete physical therapy rehab. Prior to Lainee’s diagnosis, Lainee proclaimed for two years straight that she wanted to, ‘be a Cat’, when she grew up. After Lainee’s diagnosis and up until her death, Lainee would say that when she grew up, she wanted to be a Teacher. Lainee grew up sooner than anyone was ready for.

Lainee ended up at the same hospital at the world experts of her rare cancer. As a result, the rare cancer was immediately recognized, and she was the first patient in all of medical history whose live tumor tissue was able to be used to start the first mice-model study. Lainee continues to teach us all the time: in love, in healing, in hope, in strength, and now in science. Please join us in continuing to learn and continuing to allow our teacher to do what she does best; teach.