Meet Luke

“What is cancer?”  

That was the first question Luke asked his parents when he was diagnosed with leukemia in August 2024 at age 9. 

“Luke didn’t understand what cancer was, let alone what was happening to his body,” says his mom, Conner.        

Fortunately, there was someone there who knew how to explain cancer in a way that made sense to a 9-year-old. A Child Life specialist at Phoenix Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders guided Luke through an activity called “blood soup” to help him understand his diagnosis—the first of many times that Child Life would support Luke throughout his cancer treatment.  

“Child Life spent so much time explaining each and every step of the way what was happening or what was going to happen,” Conner says. 

Luke spent several months in the hospital while undergoing chemotherapy. He and his family live in Kingman, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Phoenix Children’s, so his family stayed at the Ronald McDonald house during that time.  

All of this—the emotional weight of a cancer diagnosis, the physical toll of treatment, drastic changes to their daily lives—turned their world upside down, but Child Life and other donor-funded programs helped Luke and his family cope with the new challenges they faced.  

“Child Life, art and music therapy, and animal-assisted therapy made all the difference during our inpatient stays,” says Conner. Luke enjoyed visits from the therapy dogs so much that he made a sign for his room that read “Dogs welcome.”  

During his stay, Luke also began seeing a psychologist to help him deal with the mental, emotional and social aspects of his diagnosis. His psychologist is part of CCBD’s dedicated behavioral health team—funded in part by philanthropic support—which includes four behavioral health specialists who work exclusively with CCBD patients.        

The summer following his diagnosis, Luke attended Camp Rainbow, a weeklong summer camp for current and former CCBD patients, where he was able to connect with other kids who understood what he was going through. “He had the absolute best time while he was there,” says Conner. “We picked him up and he told us about all of these new friends that he made.” 

Thanks to generous support from the community, there is no cost for any patient to attend. Conner says, “The best part about Camp Rainbow is that it doesn’t cost us anything. We would not be able to afford to send him there otherwise.” 

Luke was back for his second summer at Camp Rainbow in 2026, and he plans to return in 2027 and beyond.