(February 2026) 13-year-old Hannah Wormuth from Pasadena, Maryland, woke up on December 1st, 2021 with a sore neck. She assumed she slept on it awkwardly, but then felt a lump on the right side of her neck. Wasting no time, mom Megan Lamptey took Hannah to an urgent care clinic that evening. After a long wait and an X-ray, they were referred to the local Emergency Department. There, Hannah went through more bloodwork and more waiting. Hannah, terrified of needles, had an additionally difficult time with all the blood draws. Although she had no symptoms, Hannah and Megan were aware that something significant was happening.
Upon reviewing the bloodwork, the hospital sent them directly to Johns Hopkins where Hannah was admitted the following morning. A biopsy was scheduled on December 3rd, but it was not until December 8th that they were informed that Hannah had Stage IV Hodgkin Lymphoma, which meant the cancer was in her blood, spleen, and bones. It was a lot to process. Both Hannah and Megan knew that staying strong and focused was important.
The treatment plan included chemotherapy every two weeks and started immediately, with her first treatment taking place the week of Christmas. Hannah’s treating oncologist was Dr. Donald Small. Hannah also participated in art therapy during her treatment through the Cool Kids campaign.
The Hopkins care team suggested that Hannah consider participating in a trial during her treatment. Hannah decided that it was the right thing to do to participate — if the trial could provide a treatment path for another patient, it was worth it. Megan noted that they understand the importance of research and the role it plays in advancing treatment options for young cancer patients.
Three weeks into the trial, the trial medication was approved. Hannah received six months of chemotherapy with the trial protocol, requiring a visit to Hopkins every two weeks. Hannah would become nauseated right upon arrival at the hospital, something that continues today. After the six months, Hannah was declared to be in remission. While a great relief, she still needed to visit for scans every three months for 6 months, then every six months for a year, and then annually.
During the summer of 2022, Hannah attended Horizon Day Camp. It was there that she met Desi. Desi introduced Hannah and her family to the CCF Holiday party. Hannah and Desi are now the best of friends and spend as much time together as possible. Hannah is grateful to have Desi in her life and would not change her diagnosis if it meant she would not have met Desi.
Hannah has attended the CCF Galas for several years with her siblings (Miriam Lamptey, 11, and brother Malakai Lamptey, 8), Megan, and Hannah’s grandparents, and has recently become a featured artist in the CCF Gala auction. The CCF Holiday party, which includes gifts and gift cards for survivors and their siblings, has been incredibly helpful for Megan and the family.
Megan, a single parent, navigated Hannah’s treatment and caring for Miriam and Malakai with the help of her devoted family. Miriam and Malakai provided needed comfort to Hannah, who did not want to be alone when she returned from treatment. Today, Hannah is a sophomore at Chesapeake High School. In addition to painting, she likes to sing, both as part of her school’s chorus, and at home doing karaoke with Mom. Hannah hopes to pursue a BA in psychology and an MA in counseling to work with pediatric cancer fighters and survivors.
UPDATE July 2026: CCF is thrilled to announce that Hannah has agreed to serve as the CCF Ambassador for Giant Food’s annual Pediatric Cancer Research Fundraising Campaign starting in August and running through October. Thank you Hannah! View Giant Food’s Hannah’s intro video.
