Welcome to Lakelyn's Light, a chapter of The Cure Starts Now, founded in honor of our incredible daughter, Lakelyn Draheim. At just four years old, Lakelyn was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a devastating pediatric brain cancer. For 12 brutal months, she bravely battled the harsh realities of treatment and the disease itself. On January 13, 2023, Lakelyn, our shining light, passed away.

Lakelyn touched everyone she met with her tenacity, spunk, and bravery. Her spirit continues to inspire us daily. In her memory, her father and I established this chapter to keep her light burning bright. We're dedicated to raising awareness and funding for research that will find a cure for DIPG and other horrific childhood cancers.

We chose to partner with The Cure Starts Now because they are at the forefront of this fight. They work tirelessly with families who have endured similar losses, all driven by a singular mission: to find the "Home Run Cure" – a cure for all cancers that rob our youngest, most precious children of their futures. They understand the immense pain of facing childhood cancer as a parent, of losing the battle yet feeling compelled to continue the fight. Their dedication to families and their relentless pursuit of a cure resonate deeply with us.

We want to ensure that every dollar raised goes directly to where it matters most: finding a way to defeat this monster and save our children. While we couldn't cure Lakelyn, we can fight to prevent other families from hearing those heartbreaking words: "There's nothing more we can do."

We fight for hope. We fight for the cure. And it starts NOW.

John 1:5 states, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." This represents our dedication to Lakelyn’s Light so we can shine her light through the darkness of her loss. We want her story to give hope to others and show that we can make a difference and we will continue to fi ght for a cure. Even though she lost her battle, we won’t let her light go out.

"In honor of our daughter, Lakelyn, we are invested in continuing to fight for a cure for DIPG. Our daughter’s battle was one that no child should ever have to endure, yet we hear of more and more children having to suffer every day, so we want to take every opportunity to raise money to support research in order to eliminate DIPG for good." -The Draheim Family

The Cure Starts Now (501c3 Federal Non-Profit) is one of the only cancer foundations dedicated to a “homerun” cure for all cancers, starting first with one of the most deadly and difficult cancers: pediatric brain cancer. Many experts believe that the lessons we learn from fighting pediatric cancer may in fact provide us the critical first step in winning the battle against all forms of cancer, both pediatric and adult.