Just weeks after starting school
For five weeks, Hendrik did what every kindergartener does.
He made new friends. He adjusted to a new classroom. He loved going to school.
Then came the bruises.
Then the leg pain.
Then the fatigue.
At first, his family thought the symptoms might be part of starting school and being an active 5-year-old.
And on Sept. 22, 2023, Hendrik’s family learned their 5-year-old son had leukemia.
“We had no idea September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month,” his mom, Lisa, says.
What followed was 844 days of treatment, including 835 doses of chemotherapy, more than 25 emergency room visits and countless appointments and procedures.
A diagnosis that changed everything
When Hendrik started kindergarten in August 2023, cancer was the last thing on his family’s mind.
Each day, he came home from school with new bruises. He felt leg pain, sometimes struggled to walk. He was unusually tired and often felt cold.
At first, his parents tried to make sense of the symptoms.
“We kind of made-up excuses,” Lisa recalls. “He’s probably growing, going through growing pains. He’s probably just bumping himself being a kid, playing on the playground.”
Still, the symptoms continued.
“I looked up everything, like being cold, leg pain, easy bruising, and it came back with leukemia.”
The family hoped there was another explanation.
Then one Friday morning, Hendrik said something out of the ordinary.
“Mom, I’m too tired to go to school today.”
The family had always encouraged Hendrik to listen to his body. That day, they listened.
Lisa, asked Hendrik’s dad, Aaris, to take him to the pediatrician. After a blood test, the pediatrician instructed them to go to the Julia and George Argyros Emergency Department at Rady Children’s Hospital Orange County (Rady Children’s), formerly CHOC, immediately.
Just days earlier, Hendrik had been packing his backpack and settling into kindergarten.
While in the emergency department, Aaris remembers receiving a message from the care team asking that both parents come to the hospital.
Two hours later Lisa and Aaris were told that Hendrik had leukemia.
For Hendrik’s parents, the hours that followed moved quickly.
Treatment began immediately.
Hendrik’s parents recall, “He needed a blood transfusion ASAP and remained in the hospital for 12 days following his diagnosis. Just six days after returning home, we were readmitted and spent our wedding anniversary in the hospital.”
The family would spend much of the next three months moving between home and the Hyundai Cancer Institute at Rady Children’s.
“Mom, I’m scared”
One of the family’s first introductions to Rady Children’s support services came through The Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Department.
At just 5 years old, Hendrik didn’t fully understand why he was in the hospital.
A Child life specialist used candy and simple visual demonstrations to explain cancer and treatment in a way he could understand.
When she asked him why he thought he was there, he answered:
“Because I have a cold.”
As the conversation continued and the reality of his diagnosis became clearer, Hendrik quietly asked his mom to come closer.
“Mom, I’m scared.”
Lisa’s response was immediate and honest.
“I’m scared too.”
It was one of the first of many honest and vulnerable conversations the family would navigate together throughout treatment with support from Child life.
“We made sure to be transparent with Hendrik throughout treatment,” Lisa says. “We tried to explain to him with the best of knowledge what each phase of treatment was.”
Rather than speaking for him, they encouraged him to advocate for himself.
Hendrik’s parents said, “We would tell him that this is his body. He knows how he feels. He has to help us and advocate for himself.”
Over time, Hendrik became increasingly involved in his care. He learned about his medications, asked questions and wanted to understand what was happening every step of the way.
Life between home and the hospital
Over the next 844 days, childhood cancer touched every aspect of the family’s life.
For nearly 10 months, Hendrik was either at home or in the hospital.
Milestones that many families celebrate together looked different during treatment. The family spent holidays apart, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
There were frequent visits to the emergency department.
Hospital stays also meant difficult decisions about which parent would stay overnight and which would return home.
Lisa remembers, “Switching off who would be staying at the hospital in-patient, with the other parent going home to an empty house.”
Through it all, the family remained committed to being open and honest with Hendrik as they navigated the realities of childhood cancer together.
Finding comfort in unexpected places
Throughout treatment, the family says they felt supported by their care team every step of the way.
“I have felt cared for and supported by Rady Children’s since day one.”
Among those who made a lasting impact were pediatric oncologist Dr. Megan Gooch, social worker Michelle Greene, Ashley McNamara from The Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Department, and resident dogs Lois and Wise.
For Hendrik and his family, visits from the resident dogs became a meaningful part of the treatment experience.
Lisa says seeing Lois always brought comfort and something to look forward to during long days at the hospital.
“Lois to the rescue.” Hendrik said.
Finding strength through community
Over 844 days, treatment became part of everyday life.
Hendrik received 835 doses of chemotherapy.
He made more than 25 trips to the emergency department.
He underwent 20 lumbar punctures, two bone marrow biopsies, 14 X-rays, six CT scans and MRIs, and received 17 blood and platelet transfusions.
The family says one of the things that helped most was connecting with others who understood what they were experiencing.
Lisa joined monthly Caregiver Connection meetings through Rady Children’s. She encourages other parents facing a similar healthcare journey to join the Caregiver Connection. “You may find your best friend there. Someone who knows what you’re going through and can provide support through those isolating times and moments.”
The family also found purpose in helping others.
Through Building Hope with Hendrik, they donate Legos every September to children receiving treatment. They’ve also raised more than $12,000 through CHOC Walk over the past three years.
“Helping others” gave them something positive to focus on while navigating treatment.
Milestones worth celebrating
Along the way, there were moments that reminded the family how far Hendrik had come.
Hearing that his leukemia was in remission after the first phase of treatment.
Returning to first grade in person.
Getting his port removed.
Hosting lemonade stands to support CHOC Walk.
There were also special moments with Hendrik’s beloved Anaheim Ducks.
When the family couldn’t attend the team’s Choco Day, Wild Wing sent him a Choco bear.
Then, while attending an Anaheim Ducks game against the Nashville Predators, Hendrik was honored in front of thousands of fans.
His image appeared on the Jumbotron.
The game paused.
The crowd stood and cheered.
Afterward, Hendrik was invited to meet the team in the locker room.
He even gave Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson a “Heroic Hendrik” wristband created in honor of his cancer journey and later watched him wear it during games.
A bell worth ringing
Hendrik wasn’t sure he wanted to ring the bell signaling the end of chemotherapy. Sensitive to loud noises and large celebrations, he often told his parents that he didn’t want the attention that came with a traditional bell-ringing ceremony.
But about three months before treatment ended, he changed his mind.
On the day of his celebration, his care team adjusted the experience to fit Hendrik’s personality. Instead of loud cheering, staff lined the hallway quietly with pom-poms.
What made the moment even more special was the care team’s decision to find the original bell from the clinic where Hendrik had received much of his treatment.
The bell he had walked past throughout treatment.
The same bell his family had pointed to over the years, telling him that one day it would be his turn.
Looking ahead
Today, Hendrik is cancer-free and back to many of the things he loves most.
He swims.
He rides his bike.
He reads.
He spends time with friends.
And he continues cheering on the Ducks.
For his family, it’s a chance to watch Hendrik simply be himself again.
“Hendrik is 8 years old; an only child and the kiddo we always wanted,” Lisa says.
Long before cancer entered their lives, Hendrik was known for his energy, empathy and ability to bring people together.
His parents describe him as “smart, a helper, empathetic, energetic, and a great leader.”
“He has this naturally ability to get everyone rallied behind him and loves to empower others to do the right things,” said Hendrik’s mom.
He has also become increasingly comfortable talking about his experience with cancer.
Beads of Courage
Recently, he brought his Beads of Courage to school to share with classmates.
The beads tell the story of his treatment in a way numbers alone cannot. Together, they represent hospital stays, procedures, medications and milestones spanning more than two years.
One of the beads he is most proud of is his survivor bead, which features a small bell.
He has spoken alongside child life specialists at his school, participated in fundraising efforts and enjoys answering questions from other children about his experience.
Becoming lifelong advocates
When asked how cancer changed their family, Lisa doesn’t hesitate.
“How hasn’t it?”
The experience transformed them into lifelong childhood cancer advocates who continue supporting other families through volunteering, fundraising and sharing their story.
Today, Hendrik continues sharing his experience with classmates, participating in fundraising efforts and speaking about his treatment when opportunities arise.
For his parents, that desire to help others is one of the things that stands out most about him.
“He continues to talk about his journey and feels empowered. This is his superpower to continue to help others,” Lisa says proudly
Three years after a leukemia diagnosis interrupted his first weeks of kindergarten, Hendrik is back where he has always wanted to be: learning, growing, spending time with friends and helping others along the way.
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Learn more the Hyundai Cancer Center at CHOC
CHOC Hospital was named one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-26 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings and ranked in the oncology specialty.
