Lauren Irene Vieira was diagnosed with Leukemia on February 11th 2015. On the days leading up to her diagnosis her parents, Daniel and Katrina, grew alarmed due to a change in her personality. Like most children, Lauren was an active 16 month old whom loved playing with her older brother, Armando and canine brother, Dexter. Lauren had become lethargic with sporadic fevers and mild bruising, preventing her from keeping up with her regular activities. Concerned that these changes continued to progress, Daniel and Katrina scheduled an appointment for a checkup. There, they learned her blood counts were abnormal and the following hours unfolded to reveal her diagnosis to be Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. At that time, 75% of her blood was cancerous. She has faced numerous nights in the hospital, blood transfusions, chemotherapy, lumbar punctures and countless medications, and has shown nothing but strength and grace through every turn down her long road to recovery. The Vieiras began to understand how difficult it was to provide a sense of normalcy for their family between treatments, doctors visits and complications. It is with this experience that LIVFREE was created.
