Many people have often asked about Lucas—the boy who was believed to have beaten DIPG, a brain cancer long considered incurable. My response has always been cautious: while we all hoped for a miracle, the painful truth is that there is still no definitive cure for this cruel disease, and relapse has always remained a possibility.
Lucas, known worldwide as the first child believed to have overcome DIPG, has now sadly experienced a relapse.
Lucas is currently 14 years old and will turn 15 at the end of this year. He was first diagnosed with DIPG in August 2017, at just six years old. He was treated with everolimus, and against all odds, his disease remained stable for eight extraordinary years. During this time, his progress was so remarkable that even his doctors began to speak of a possible cure—something almost unheard of with this diagnosis.
Sadly, in June of last year, Lucas’s illness returned.
Since then, he has been back under the care of specialists at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Paris. He has already faced several major challenges with incredible courage, including a second brain biopsy and 18 sessions of radiotherapy, which he has now completed.
Lucas has recently started a new treatment called ONC201. His family, doctors, and supporters around the world are holding onto hope that this treatment will bring positive results.
Despite this devastating news, Lucas’s journey remains extraordinary. His strength, resilience, and the years he gained have already helped change how DIPG is understood and treated. We continue to hope—for Lucas, and for all children facing this disease—that breakthroughs will come, even against the odds.
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