Young Child’s Determination to Beat Cancer

Girl playing with puppets

Landen Green is 7 years old and has acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but that’s not slowing him down from living life as a kid. With the help of funding from the Hope Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Landen was able to beat his 4 year battle with leukemia. He was able to get more treatment with the funding, which was provided to him and his family, so he can “BEAT” Cancer. Click here to see the story.“We’re no longer on our time, but now we are back on our time!”

Lisa Fitzgerald-Green and Walter Green are the proud parents of five loving children. Life for the Greens’ is different nowadays. Their son, Landen, is 7 years old and has acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common type of childhood cancer with an estimated 3,000 children being diagnosed each year in the United States. This form of cancer affects the lymphocytes in which the bone marrow produces too many immature white blood cells, causing them to build up in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes.For this young daredevil, he sees cancer as an adventure ready to be conquered. “Landen has his good days and bad days, but he’s a fighter and is determined to beat this,” said Lisa Fitzegerald-Green. Cancer hasn’t stopped Landen from living life as a normal kid. He still enjoys playing sports, especially football, eating tacos and beating his friends in video games. 

The cost of care including hospital visits, chemotherapy and medication has taken a toll on the Greens’ finances. In 2014, families directly impacted by cancer paid nearly $4 billion out-of-pocket for treatment. It’s no different for the Greens. Lisa quit her job in order to take care of Landen full-time and his father has missed a significant amount of time at work to be by his sons’ side. It’s resulted in the family falling behind on their financial obligations. 

There is a silver lining to this story. The Hope Foundation of the Mahoning Valley presented the Greens with a $2,500 grant to go towards Landen’s medical bills and help lessen the financial burden for the family. “We’re extremely thankful and so appreciative for the kindness that we received from The Hope Foundation,” stated Walter Green. Funds from the grant will help pay for Landen’s medical treatment and travel expenses as Landen makes frequent trips to Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio.

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