In 2005, eight-year-old Brady Lucas from York, PA, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). After treatment at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, he relapsed in 2010. Brady received a bone marrow transplant from his younger brother, Shaun, on Feb 2, 2011. Seven years later, Brady graduated Penn State and received a Master’s degree in 2021. While at Penn State, Brady participated in THON, the annual pediatric cancer fundraising event, all four years in various capacities including dancing, being a captain, and serving on the Executive Committee. It was there that he met his future wife, Julia.

Today, Brady lives in Washington State with Julia, a Navy nurse, and is a fundraising professional. He is also the author of Smiley’s Smile, a book to help children better navigate their health journey. The book has been referred to as a “perfect resource for anyone trying to explain cancer to a child.”

Through the power of words, Brady is educating and advocating on behalf of cancer’s youngest patients, who often do not feel they have a voice. With firsthand experience, Brady tries to ensure that cancer’s youngest warriors feel empowered.

Brady meets with schools and organizations, sharing his experience and lessons learned as a cancer survivor. Brady is impacted by cancer every day. On the outside, he appears to be a healthy 28-year-old, but on the inside, he has a compromised immune system, low white blood cell count, a damaged liver due to treatment (liver fibrosis), an enlarged spleen and esophageal polyps. Additionally, there are psycho-social impacts, the primary being anxiety about whether his cancer will return. As Brady put it, “there is collateral damage living as a survivor, not just for the patient, but for the entire family.” Brady noted that “cancer does not define me, but it will always be a part of me.” He shared that when he meets someone, including when he met his wife, he must decide when to disclose his cancer journey. It is not an easy conversation.

Brady credits his brother, Shaun, with saving his life through a bone marrow donation. Not everyone is fortunate to have a familial match. As a result, Brady is an advocate for Be the Match, now known as NMDP, a national marrow matching program.

Brady hopes to create a better experience for young patients navigating the world of cancer. As many young cancer patients and survivors know, cancer treatments are often the same as they were 40 years ago. Infusing chemotherapy to kill cancer calls can also nearly kill the patient. Children do not always have the tools and ability to ask the hard questions and receive meaningful answers. Brady referred to cancer as a “taboo” subject. As a cancer survivor, Brady was inspired to write Smiley’s Smile, in part, to help start the hard conversations. The book has become a valuable resource not only for young cancer patients, but also for parents, caregivers, and medical teams.

When Brady has any downtime, he is often meeting with students or other groups talking about the book and serving as a resource for navigating the cancer journey. Brady hopes that if there are any lessons to share from his own diagnosis, treatment, and survival, it is that cancer is not a sprint. It is a lifelong marathon. Once diagnosed, you are impacted for life, and it impacts everyone around the patient.

For Brady, he has come out of cancer stronger and inspired.

CCF is honored to have connected with Brady and we look forward to collaborating and partnering in the future.