Cate and John Dugan received the news no parent ever expects to hear: their son Luke has cancer.

Luke is a 7th grader who should be spending his days on the basketball court with his teammates or at home with his family. Instead, he is facing surgeries, hospital stays, and intensive cancer treatment, all surrounded by the love of a close-knit family and a faith that anchors them.

Luke comes from a deeply loving family whose lives are rooted in their strong Catholic faith. He is one of four children to Cate and John: Anna (14), Luke (13), Mark (10), and Grace (7), whom all are incredibly close. Their faith and their church community at St. Thomas the Apostle are central to their lives. As Cate and John often say, without their faith, they would have nothing. It has been their constant source of strength throughout this journey.

On Thursday, 12/11, Luke was taken to urgent care after experiencing weeks of headaches and vomiting. Doctors did not find anything immediately concerning and sent him home. However, Cate felt something wasn’t right. As Luke’s symptoms continued, the family sought a second opinion on Saturday, 12/13, bringing him to Children’s Hospital. There, doctors discovered a tumor on Luke’s brain stem that was causing dangerous fluid buildup. He required emergency surgery to place a stent and relieve the pressure.

Further testing revealed devastating news. Luke had not one tumor, but three: one on his brain stem, one in the frontal region of his brain, and one on his spine. On Wednesday, 12/17, Luke underwent a second surgery to remove the brain stem tumor. Preliminary lab results confirmed a diagnosis of Medulloblastoma, an aggressive pediatric brain cancer that originates in the cerebellum and can spread through the brain and spinal cord.

Anyone who knows Luke knows his love for basketball runs deep. He lives and breathes the sport, spending countless hours at the community center practicing, often to the point that his mom had to drag him off the court. Luke is a straight-A student, an all-around athlete, and someone whose energy and charisma light up every room he enters. He motivates those around him and brings joy wherever he goes. His mom also lovingly describes him as very stubborn - a trait that, in this fight, has become a gift.

When Luke was first seen at urgent care, a doctor reassured the family that he was a “healthy 13-year-old” and that the chance of finding something serious on a scan was “1 in 10,000.” After Luke’s diagnosis, he asked his mom, “Mom, I’m the 1%. Why am I the 1%?” Cate responded simply, “You’ve always been the 1%.”

The surgery on 12/17 was especially risky, as the brain stem controls essential functions. Doctors warned Cate and John that one wrong move could be detrimental and that Luke might not speak for weeks, or even months, after surgery. But just 1 hour and 12 minutes later, Luke was talking and being himself. Shortly after, his dad recorded a conversation where Luke confidently told him he would be back on the basketball court in two months. That determination, grit, and belief are what make Luke “the 1%.”

At this time, Luke’s doctors have decided not to surgically remove the remaining tumors. Instead, they will be treated with proton therapy, an advanced and highly targeted form of radiation that minimizes damage to healthy tissue and is especially beneficial for children. Luke will remain at Children’s Hospital for the next 2–3 weeks to regain strength while his oncology team finalizes his specific Medulloblastoma subtype and treatment plan. He will then be transferred to the Mayo Clinic to begin proton therapy.

Cate and John have been open with Luke about his diagnosis and treatment, keeping faith and God at the forefront of every conversation. They remind him, and themselves, that while this is not the path they would have chosen, they trust God is walking alongside Luke through this part of his journey, shaping him into the man he is meant to be.

Luke has a long road ahead, including extended hospital stays, radiation treatments, and ongoing care. This fundraiser is meant to help ease the financial burden of these unexpected expenses so the Dugan family can focus fully on what matters most: Luke’s healing.

The family is incredibly grateful for the love, prayers, and support surrounding them during this difficult time. Luke’s faith, determination, family, friends, and a little bit of that stubbornness will carry him forward. He is a fighter, and he is never alone.

Any donation, no matter the amount, will help support the Dugan family during one of the hardest seasons of their lives. Thank you for keeping Luke and his family in your prayers and for being part of their village.