After losing brother to brain cancer, Lukas Frlan raising funds to honour his memory
· Toronto Sun
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After losing his younger brother Daniel to pediatric brain cancer, Lukas Frlan wanted to do something to honour his memory.
A year ago, the Grade 5 student from Etobicoke decided he would raise funds to help other children and families facing similar experiences.
“It’s given him a positive way to honour his brother’s memory,” mother Kathy Frlan said. “It’s been very difficult for him, and for a long time he struggled to understand why his brother had to go through so much.”
Lukas was six years old when his brother passed away in 2021 shortly after his fifth birthday, while battling a rare and aggressive brain cancer.
Daniel was diagnosed at four months with a rare form of cancer called retinoblastoma that affected both of his eyes, but the condition has a very high cure rate. After six months of chemotherapy, Kathy Frlan said he got better.
Brother diagnosed with pineoblastoma, an agressive tumour
However, there was a tiny chance he could get pineoblastoma, an aggressive tumour that begins in the brain’s pineal gland and can spread quickly through cerebrospinal fluid. While the chance of getting it is about one in seven million and rare in children, he was diagnosed with the second cancer at three-and-a-half years old.
Daniel went through chemo and radiation, but passed away shortly after his fifth birthday. He would have turned 10 this year.
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“He was incredibly special,” Kathy Frlan said. “He really had a big smile to match his personality that would light up a room. He was funny, he was affectionate.
“Even though everything that he endured with cancer, he continued to smile and laugh. He brought joy to people that were around him.”
Kathy Frlan said he liked to play with his Hot Wheels cars and loved being silly.
“Everyone who met him fell in love with him,” she added. “He taught us a lot about courage, resilience, and unconditional love in his short five years.”
Fundraise and bring awareness to pediatric brain cancer
It took some time for Lukas to come up with an idea to honour his brother’s memory. He eventually decided to fundraise and bring awareness to pediatric brain cancer and started Project Drive for Daniel .
Lukas began speaking publicly to students at several schools in the city about kindness, gratitude, hope, and supporting grieving families, and eventually became an ambassador for the Meagan Bebenek Foundation , a Toronto charity that raises funding for pediatric brain tumour research.
“Through the Meagan Bebenek Foundation, he was able to turn some of that sadness into something meaningful,” Kathy Frlan said. “He feels like he’s helping other children and families facing pediatric brain cancer. I think that gives him a sense of purpose and connection to Daniel.”
Lukas has been doing fundraisers for the past year and will have raised more than $7,000 for pediatric brain cancer research by the end of June following an event at De La Salle College, Kathy Frlan said.
Things he has created to sell include handcrafted items like bracelets and pinecones collected by his late brother and kept by the family, which he turned into angels and sold last Christmas.
Support from classmates, friends, school and church community
Kathy Frlan said classmates, friends, his school and church community have supported Lukas’ efforts by purchasing items, helping spread the word, and encouraging him along the way.
“Watching Lukas turn a painful loss like this into something positive is really inspiring,” Kathy Frlan said. “As a parent, losing a child is something you never truly get over.
“There’s still difficult days and it’s almost been five years, but seeing Lukas honour Daniel’s memory with such kindness and compassion and determination, it gives me hope. It reminds me that Daniel’s life continues to make a difference through the work he’s doing. Seeing the impact Lukas is having on others has been a source of real strength for our family.”
Kathy Frlan believes that her son will continue to raise funds and awareness about childhood brain cancer as a way to give back to the community.
“Concerning what he’s going through, he’s made a difference so far and he’s passionate about helping other children and families that are affected by brain cancer. I can see that advocacy has become important for him,” she said.
“Whether it’s fundraising or volunteering, I believe it’s something that he’ll continue to do and I hope he does, for ways to help others.”