Lucy is back home — walking, talking and playing piano — after brain cancer treatment at St. Jude

Lucy confidently writes letters and numbers and taps out simple tunes on the piano. The 6-year-old also runs and jumps. She likes her snacks, too. 

Just a few years ago, the little girl could not stand, walk or talk. Now an active elementary school student, she enjoys music, delights in eating her mom’s cuisine that honors their Chinese roots and embraces every new experience. 

Lucy was 3 when medical tests showed a mass in her brain. She was transferred to a children’s hospital near her home in California where she underwent surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. She was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, one of the most common cancerous brain tumors in childhood.

The day after Lucy’s surgery, she developed posterior fossa syndrome (PFS), which impeded her ability to speak, stand and walk. PFS sometimes occurs after surgery to remove brain tumors at the base of the skull where important parts of the central nervous system are housed. Most children with PFS gradually improve and regain their speech and motor skills. 

“We saw an energetic kid become one that could not walk, speak or write, and we were so anxious,” her mom, Yanli, said. “But during that time we thought, as long as she was alive that was good.”   

Lucy was referred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and arrived in December of 2023 to be treated by Amar Gajjar, MD, Chair of the Department of Pediatric Medicine. At St. Jude, molecular testing — including methylation analysis — was performed on Lucy’s tumor, which identified the group and subtype of her tumor: group 3/4, subgroup 7. Methylation profiling allows doctors to understand the tumor’s profile and to offer a precise diagnosis for different tumors that might appear the same under a microscope. 

Yanli said she had read of other protocols done at St. Jude with Lucy’s tumor subtype and felt fortunate that their daughter would receive treatment there. 

“We believed that she could have a better result at St. Jude,” she said. “We felt confident and thought that Lucy could survive.”  

St. Jude researchers have discovered new ways to predict how well treatment will work by analyzing the molecular features of the tumor. Once Lucy’s tumor was classified, St. Jude was able to tailor her treatment by determining the effective doses of radiotherapy and courses of chemotherapy to cure her disease but limit side effects. 

Patients with group 3 and group 4 medulloblastoma have a more aggressive disease that requires radiotherapy. St. Jude is home to the first proton therapy center dedicated exclusively to children. Proton beam radiotherapy allows the energy and depth of the protons to be matched to the tumor’s size and shape, sparing healthy tissue surrounding the tumor, reducing both short- and long-term side effects — critical for children whose brains and bodies are still developing. 

After completing treatment, including physical and occupational therapy, Lucy returned to California in the fall of 2024 and started school several months later. She learned how to write her name, identify numbers and do basic math. Inspired by the music room at St. Jude, one of her favorite places to visit while in treatment, Lucy began taking piano lessons and has performed in her first piano recital. 

Lucy and her younger brother, Lewis, traveled to China for the first time recently. There, they met relatives and Lucy celebrated her 6th birthday with friends and family at an indoor playground. 

“She was super excited to see that part of the world with her parents and brother,” her mom said. “To connect with Chinese culture, food and, of course, to be happy.”