Seven-year-old Lucian Taggart went to bed complaining of stomach pain one evening after a summer day of laser tag at WOW with his uncle. When his condition worsened through the night and his temperature began to rise, his parents took him to the nearest emergency room, fearing appendicitis. What doctors found instead was a tumor on Lucian's kidney the size of a softball.

Within days, surgeons removed the tumor along with one of Lucian's kidneys, but the fight doesn't end there. Subsequent tests showed that the diagnosis is strongly leaning towards a rare form of cancer in children, Renal Cell Carcinoma, and after a rupture in the mass, it appears to be spreading.

This young, single-income family of five are modestly insured, with little in savings to cover the difference. They will travel soon to see specialists in pediatric cancer treatment in Cincinnati, Ohio, but there are hard limits to what they are able to shoulder on their own.

Lucian, whose name means "Bearer of Light," has truly been a beacon of hope and courage through this sudden twist in his story. His smile is broad and contagious, and his optimism is undaunted - regardless of the pain and discomfort he encounters through his struggle.  He is the hero of his own story, but he needs your help to fight this newest adversary.