No one fights alone, and to that end, the Stanley-Boyd community came together Friday night to stand with Lakken Burzynski, a childhood brain cancer survivor, who was diagnosed with glioma this past July.
Taking place at the Friday night boys varsity game between Stanley-Boyd and Thorp, Burzynski was presented with an envelope containing upwards of $6,000 in donation money at the Friday night game by Orioles head coach (and Lakken’s uncle) Dakota Nichols, the Orioles and Cardinals both warming up in Team Lakken t-shirts designed by Lakken’s older sister Taylor.
Taking place Friday as well, a “Chuck-a-Duck” event was held after the game to raise money for Joshua’s Camp, raising a total of $1,205. Joshua’s Camp is held in Eau Claire twice a year for children with cancer and their families which Lakken had the opportunity to attend when she went through treatment as a child.
The daughter of Greg and Katie Burzynski, Lakken was diagnosed with a form of brain cancer called medulloblastoma at age 10 back in 2012. She underwent surgery to remove a tumor in her brain along with chemotherapy and radiation, then entered remission until the summer of 2023.
Later graduating with the Stanley-Boyd Class of 2020, Lakken found out in May 2023 that there were abnormalities on a routine MRI she had for a check-up. A biopsy of the new growth was completed in June and she received the new cancer diagnosis on July 14th, 2023. The recurrence is a different type of brain cancer called glioma, which forms in the brain and can spread to the spinal cord. Following the new diagnosis, Lakken started a variety of treatments including chemotherapy on a 28 day cycle (5 days on and 23 days off), gamma knife radiation, and a treatment known as Optune. The latter treatment uses electrodes to create an electrical field in an attempt to slow cancer cell division.
At this time, Lakken is having MRIs completed every two months in order to monitor the tumors. A recent MRI in January has shown mixed results. The Burzynski’s are hoping to have more answers on the next round of MRIs in March. The long-term prognosis for glioma is poor.
Lakken and her family would like to thank the community for their thoughts, prayers, and donations. “It has been amazing to see the outpouring of support from our community and the communities around us, thank you for all you have done!” Lakken’s mantra for this second cancer battle is “Live each day as if it’s your last.” Things might be better for all of us if we join her in that ideal.
