Leo is a sweet-natured and humorous 14-year-old young man who loves being with his friends, and who maintains a positive attitude and outlook no matter what challenges come his way.

In January of 2023, after months of severe headaches, fatigue, and other symptoms, Leo was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of cancerous brain tumor.

The tumor was located in the back of Leo’s head, and doctors estimated it had been growing, undiscovered, for two years.

On January 20, 2023, Leo endured a 13+ hour surgery to remove the tumor. Through all of this, part of Leo’s brain was damaged, impacting his vision and his ability to walk.

Leo’s treatment includes strong and aggressive chemotherapy, in addition to six weeks of radiation, five days a week.

Leo has also endured two in-patient rehabilitation stays to help him regain physical abilities that were impacted by the tumor. While there has been a lot of improvement, Leo still requires the use of a wheelchair and experiences ataxia – the loss of muscle control in his arms and legs.

Amid these extremely hard circumstances, Leo continues to fight, and will not allow cancer to define who he is.

Leo will be adopted as a Sparrow to Liberty High School in Hillsboro. Students will work hard to earn money for Leo through sponsored community service, giving him and his family the support they need to continue fighting this battle.