The week after Levi’s 3rd birthday, he woke up crying that his neck hurt. After visits to his pediatrician and the emergency room, his family was told it was probably just a muscle strain. They tried to believe that, but deep down, they knew something wasn’t right.

As the days went on, Levi’s parents became more worried. His daycare kept saying, “He’s just not acting like our Levi.” Levi’s mom, Cortney, remembers, “Ms. Maria told us he was lying on the floor playing with his favorite dinosaurs instead of sitting up and running around like he normally would. He didn’t want to sit upright and just seemed uncomfortable and exhausted.”

That was the moment they knew this was something bigger.

What started as neck pain quickly turned into more testing, more questions, and eventually an MRI that changed their lives forever. Levi’s MRI showed a mass on his brain stem. They were told to go straight to a children’s hospital where a neurosurgeon would be waiting for them.

On October 1, 2025, Dr. Brimley explained the process of Levi’s craniotomy and brain tumor resection surgery. Thankfully, he was able to remove the entire tumor.

After days of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, they received the pathology results that no parent is ever prepared to hear. Levi was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer called Grade 3 PFA Ependymoma of the Brain Stem.

Levi’s oncology team recommended proton and photon radiation at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine. From November 6, 2025, through December 18, 2025, Levi went through 33 rounds of treatment, five days a week for six weeks.

The family moved to Philadelphia during treatment and tried their best to keep life as normal as possible for Levi, his big sister Zoey (5), and their senior dog, Rocco.

“There are truly no words for how grateful we are for Levi’s team at CHOP and UPenn. They became so much more than doctors and nurses to us. They became our support system through the hardest time of our lives.” Levi’s mom, Cortney, says. “We have also met some of the strongest parents and families imaginable — moms and dads living through every parent’s worst nightmare while still showing up every day with toy trucks, dolls, stickers, snacks, and art supplies just to make their kids smile.”

Today, Levi continues MRI scans every three months with his neuro-oncology team and Dr. Blasco.

Cortney reflects, “We will continue to spread awareness, support other families going through pediatric cancer, and never take a single ordinary day for granted again.

The support from our community and foundations like Lilabean has meant more than we could ever explain. It helps families like ours feel seen during some of the hardest moments of our lives.”

-Statement or quote on what you hope sharing your story will accomplish:

“We just want people to remember these kids deserve more research, more funding, and more chances to grow up.” - Cortney Zuckerman, Levi’s mom