This page is in support of the family of Amanda McNees, our friend and colleague. Recently, her 5-year-old daughter, Liliana Hanna was diagnosed with Stage Two diffused astrocytoma. Lily is a funny, sweet, smart little girl that is always smiling. The family is in need of our emotional and financial support!

Since the beginning of 2025, Lily has been experiencing headaches and vomiting. Initially, Amanda thought Lily caught a bug and had a passing illness. Lily’s headaches and vomiting persisted she was taken to the emergency room on February 16, 2025. At the time, she was diagnosed with dehydration and gastroenteritis. She was sent home and told to eat a bland diet, drink fluids and rest. Lily felt well enough to attend her first day of Pre-K at a new school on February 18, 2025. However, Amanda received a call from the school that Lily was sick again. She was taken to Texas Children’s Pediatrics and the doctors finally heard Amanda's pleas and requested an MRI to determine what was causing these symptoms. On February 19, the MRI showed a tumor in Lily's brain. Lily was taken by ambulance to Texas Children's Hospital in the Medical Center where they stayed for 17 days. Lily's first surgery was a drainage tube. Then on Tuesday, February 25, Lily had a craniotomy to remove what they could of the tumor. The procedure was a gruelling 8-12 hours with surgery. Lily came through the surgery with flying colors and even woke up to say she loved her family. Due to the location of the tumor, the surgeon was only able to remove about 40-50% of the tumor without causing further damage since the tumor is infused into both sides of her thalamus. After the surgery, Lily had a drain removing spinal fluid from her brain.

Imaginably, this treatment for Lily was difficult for the entire family. Several members of the family came in from Arizona to assist with Jaxon, Amanda’s older son and house affairs. They would have to drive back and forth to Spring every day because Jaxon was not allowed to stay at the hospital after 8:00 PM. Undoubtedly, this was a strain emotionally and financially for the family. The parking in the Houston Medical Center is astronomical and just in parking fees alone they were spending hundreds of dollars to stay with Lily. This does not mention the high cost of food at the hospital or gas driving back and forth from Spring every day. The financial toll on the family has been significant.

In early March, Lily had surgery to place a shunt in her brain. After successfully recovering from that procedure she went home on March 7th. The family was still waiting for results of biopsy and treatment plan. They had a follow up appointment on March 20th. In the meantime, the old adage when it rains, it pours applied to the family. Amanda’s car broke down to add to the financial burden they had been experiencing. At the follow up appointment, they learned that Lily has Stage two diffused astrocytoma and required chemotherapy. Over the course of the next few days, the reality of trying to care for Lily while undergoing treatment without her family nearby was not feasible. She made the difficult decision to move back to Arizona to be close to her family.

On Friday, March 28 her ISS family organized a team to help pack and load their belongings into a U-Haul to move back to Arizona. Spirits were high and Amanda was very appreciative of the helping hearts and hands of her coworkers. While the journey from Texas is over, Lily’s treatments are just beginning.

Please help support Amanda and her family while Lily continues to fight brain cancer!