Lily Torman, energetic, talkative, gentle and resilient, passed away on January 7, 2020 after a 15-month battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Lily was 3 years old.

Lily’s spirit touched everyone who met her along her cancer journey – busy nurses took time out of their days to print out Paw Patrol characters to add to the decorations in Lily’s room. The security team at the hospital warmly greeted Lily’s grandparents whenever they came to visit and made sure to ask how the family was doing. Co-workers reached out to Donna and Nick to tell them to take all the time they needed to be a family and support Lily during an incredibly difficult time, saying they remembered a time when someone else did the same for them.

Before Lily passed away, Donna and Nick decided they wanted to share their daughter’s story in a way that reflects the messy, heartbreaking, real-life experience of losing a child to cancer, and inspires people who were touched by her life to take action. They connected with researchers who will use Lily’s blood for clues about how to crack the code behind this incredibly aggressive type of leukemia. They want people to know that today’s treatments aren’t enough, they hope something good can come of Lily’s story.