Super James’ Brave Journey Through Childhood Cancer

Program Impact

·Jun 10th, 2026

Nobody was prepared to see a tumor in James’ brainstem.

James is six years old, and he's been fighting cancer for nearly five years.

Let that land for a moment. He started treatment just after he turned one.

In May 2021, James was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare disease where abnormal cells build up in the body’s tissues and organs. He went through a full year of chemotherapy. In May 2022, he rang the bell.

Seven months later, persistent and unexplained vomiting started. His oncology team ordered an MRI. Nobody was prepared for what it showed.

An inoperable tumor in a child who hadn’t yet turned three. It was in the pons, a region deep in the brainstem that controls breathing, swallowing, and basic body function.

James_pediatric brain tumor story — Super James during a hospital visit!

Supporting Hospitalized Children Through Play

James received 28 rounds of proton radiation and his tumor has remained stable. Devastatingly, his LCH returned, in January 2024. The fight that was supposed to be over started again.

Through all of it — the chemo, the radiation, the 180-mile round trips to Iowa City, the 300-mile trips to Rochester, the MRIs every three months — James has developed something that his family notices every time he comes home with something new.

Pride.

When James received toys through Starlight’s Toy Delivery Program during his hospital stays, he didn’t always engage with them in the moment. Hospitals are hard, and comfort comes more easily at home. But once he’s back, in his own space, with the people he loves, those items become something more than toys.

They become proof of his bravery.

James tells his friends and family exactly why he received them through his fight with cancer. He has been going to the hospital since he was 13 months old, and he has learned, in the particular way that children who have faced hard things learn, that his story is worth telling.

James_pediatric cancer support programs — Super James staying brave through a hospital stay.

Help Kids in the Hospital Feel Joy

James isn’t through it yet. The road ahead includes more treatments, more scans, more trips. But James carries what he’s been through — as a badge.

“It breaks my heart as a parent to have to put our child through so much. However, the love and support that is given through organizations like Starlight brings a small sense of peace to me as I feel the kindness of strangers. Thank you for your support and generosity.” - Ashley, James’ mom

James’s story is one of 3 million made possible by Starlight each year. And thanks to supporters like you, kids like James face their hardest moments — and feel proud of their bravery too.

Will you help more kids carry their battles with pride?

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