Lucas was a courageous childhood cancer warrior who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2017, at the age of 3. Throughout his seven years of treatment, he showed incredible strength and bravery. In 2020, just months before completing his treatment, Lucas's leukemia relapsed, and he was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma in his lungs. This led him to be transferred to MUSC for specialized care, where he met Ms. Tracey and the Happy Wheels program.

At MUSC, Lucas underwent a bone marrow transplant and CAR-T immunotherapy. Both treatments helped put him in remission from leukemia and lymphoma, but they also caused life-threatening side effects. Despite these challenges, Lucas found joy in his weekly visits from Happy Wheels. For an entire year after his transplant, he looked forward to seeing Ms. Tracey and the volunteers, who would visit him at nearly every appointment. The Happy Wheels cart became one of the highlights of his week.

Lucas was always very particular about what he chose from the cart. He enjoyed asking questions, inspecting the items, and listening to suggestions from Ms. Tracey and the volunteers. Though he often ended up picking the first item he looked at, every once in a while, he'd surprise us with his choice. Some of Lucas's favorite toys from Happy Wheels included Legos, Bakugan, and Nerf guns. Occasionally, Lucas would even select toys or stuffed animals for his younger sister, Lilly, showing his thoughtful nature despite his own struggles.

In November 2024, after a seven-year battle with leukemia, lymphoma, and chronic graft-versus-host disease following his bone marrow transplant, Lucas passed away. In the wake of his loss, Lilly decided to honor his memory with a toy drive. She collected over 500 toy donations and, with the help of family and friends, delivered multiple loads of toys to Happy Wheels.

We know Lucas would be proud of Lilly's thoughtful gesture. Happy Wheels was one of his favorite parts of his time at MUSC, and we believe he would have loved the idea of giving back to the program that brought him so much joy during his treatments.