Celebrating Starlight's Happiness Hero, Luke Stroud
As Starlight celebrates our 40th anniversary, we want to turn the spotlight on the incredible supporters, hospitals, and partners that enable us to fulfill our mission – delivering happiness to seriously ill kids and their families.
Starlight has been especially inspired by the passion of one of our youngest supporters, 12-year-old Starlight Kid Luke Stroud.
In October 2020, the Strouds went through one of the scariest experiences a family can go through—a childhood cancer diagnosis. Over the next three months, Luke endured multiple rounds of antibiotics referrals, a biopsy, and surgery, leading to a final diagnosis of Follicular Lymphoma.
We are so happy to say Luke is now cancer-free, but his journey didn’t stop there! Luke and his family were inspired by this life-changing experience to give back to other children facing the same fears and anxieties around hospital visits and navigating a cancer diagnosis.
In 2021, Luke and his family set a goal to raise $20,000 to place four Starlight Nintendo Gaming Stations at Levine Children's Hospital, where he received his care. He has since raised over $15K and is on his way to funding his final Gaming Station! Check out his fundraiser!
“There are so many children that are not as lucky as Luke. Being a kid can be hard sometimes, but being a sick kid is hard ALL the time. Luke is determined to help these kids.”
- Susan, Luke's mom
We are so grateful for Luke and his family’s compassion and dedication as they continue to raise money to deliver thousands of moments of joy to kids in the hospital. Starlight is honored to celebrate their impact by recognizing them as our Happiness Heroes!
